Perfect Teacher
by Desthstride
Summary: Locke Brangwen is just a regular kid, barely worthy of attention. That is, until he befriends Goten and Trunks, and joins the Dragon Ball world. Goku detects his latent potential, and in a suddenly desperate attempt to bring it out, uses the Dragon Balls to wish for a teacher. But the man Shenron brings him is more than he bargained for. Not a good teacher, but the Perfect teacher.
1. Chapter 1

**Just a note before I start: I am bad with the normal Dragon Ball Name themes, especially Earthlings, so I'll mostly be using regular names you'd see outside the DB universes. I wish I could stick to the themes, but I literally spent a few hours trying to find names that worked and came up blank. Also, I'm uploading this under Z as there isn't a Super category yet. If one is added, I might move this over there.**

 **Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fanfiction. Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, and Dragon Ball Super are all owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, and Akira Toriyama. Please support the official release.**

 **Locke**

I looked up at Orange Star High School, biding my time before entering. This would be my fifth school this year. Someone bumped my shoulder as they passed, bringing me back to my senses. "You can do this," I assured myself before walking to the door.

 **Trunks**

Goten and I were playing Pokemon together while we waited for class to start. Goten was intently focused on the game, with our friend, Meadow, quietly cheering him on, making Goten even more focused. It was no secret that he liked her, and that he considered them "practically together already", even though Meadow was much more subtle. A few people dared to suggest that she just thought he was overly quirky and liked playing along. I smirked as my Garchomp K.O.'d his Heatmor, ending the battle just before the bell rang.

"You'll get him next time," Meadow assured him as she took her seat behind his. He sighed as he put his 3DS away and faced the front of the room.

The teacher walked in a few seconds later, a new kid in toe. His hair was black, longish and minorly spikey with a blue tint, and he wore a quarter-sleeve black shirt with white trim and khaki pants. His yellow-colored eyes scanned the room nervously. He seemed fairly ordinary, but his ki caught my attention. It wasn't strong or anything, but something felt different from everyone else's.

"Everyone," the teacher announced, "I'd like to introduce our newest student, Locke Brangwen. Locke, go ahead and take the seat behind the purple-haired boy." He nodded and silently made his way back to take the seat behind me, the last in the row.

I turned and smiled. "Welcome to OSHS, Locke." I made sure the teacher wasn't watching then continued. "Trunks Briefs; nice to meet you."

His eyes widened. "Like Bulma Briefs, the CEO of Capsule Corporation?" he asked.

I nodded. "That's my mom." I looked toward my two friends. "These are Son Goten and Meadow Fae."

Goten gave his signature Son grin. "Hey."

Meadow smiled kindly. "Hi. So, did you move here, or are you like Goten and only just started going to school?"

 **Locke**

This was freaking me out. Usually when I went to a new school, I would just get ignored until the meatheads found out I was good at my classes. Now the richest teen in the world, a seemingly nice guy, and a cute brunette girl were trying to make conversation only a minute after meeting me. I chose my words carefully.

"Um, no, I just moved here from West City," I told them. "My grandparents didn't think the schools there were advanced enough for me." Goten was about to say something, probably a joke judging from his quirky grin, but was interrupted by the teacher.

"Ahem?" she said to get our attention. "Trunks, Meadow, I know you two are probably fine, and Goten won't pay attention anyway, but as for you, Locke: you may be new, but that's no excuse to be ignoring your work." I bowed my head in apology. "Now, would you like to solve this equation?" she continued. I recognized the shaming method and reluctantly stood. She handed me the chalk and stood back. I looked it over, then started writing.

"... so x equals fifteen and eleven-eighteenths," I said as I finished. I handed the chalk back to her, trying not to blush at her astonished expression, but found it impossible when I saw everyone else's. I quickly returned to my seat and waited for class to resume.

Trunks gave a thumbs-up once everything resumed. "Now that's cool," he almost laughed. "Most of the kids in here would never be able to do that. Tread carefully, or you might end up being transferred to an even more advanced school."

I cringed at the thought. "I hope not." To avoid being scolded again, we turned our attention back to the front for the rest of class.

We talked a bit when we saw each other between classes, and I actually found myself liking them. Goten explained that he and Trunks had a habit of making fast friends, hence why they were already treating me like one; I was glad for it. For the first time since I started jumping between schools, I had friends. And as long as I didn't slip-up, I thought I might be able to keep them.

Then I slipped-up.

It was lunch, and we were sitting down to eat, when one of the stereotypical diva-girls at the next table decided to trip Meadow. Goten and Trunks were heading off the group and didn't see in time to do anything. I'm positive that everyone thought that her food was going to fly everywhere. Right as it happened, though, my instincts kicked-in and I dove forward, catching Meadow with one arm and using the other to catch her tray before anything fell of. If I hadn't packed my lunch, it wouldn't have gone so smoothly. The lunchroom went quiet, and I clenched my teeth, cursing myself for showing-off. I looked down at Meadow, and was surprised to see not only her eyes opened in shock and awe, but also a light blush on her face.

I quickly righted her and handed her back her tray. "Um... are you okay?" I asked, trying to pretend nothing had happened.

She nodded. "Y-yeah, but what just happened?" Instead of answering, I quickly sat down and waited for everyone to return to their own conversations.

When that didn't happen, I sighed and explained. "Its kinda weird, but for as long as I can remember, I've always had really good reflexes and been abnormally strong." To demonstrate, I took a coin from my pocket and folded it between my thumb and forefinger. Meadow continued to stare in astonishment, making me feel even more nervous. I don't know if you've ever had an attractive girl stare at you before, but if you have, you might know the feeling.

Goten and Trunks looked at each other. "Locke?" Trunks asked. "Is anything else about you strange? Like fast healing or something?" I shook my head.

"Do you know both of your parents?" Goten asked.

I shook my head again. "I've never met my dad, and my mom suffered a head injury before I was born that made her forget everything about him except the fact that he existed." They looked at each other again. "Where is this going?"

Goten grinned. "We're just thinking that you might be like us." He took a metal marble from his pocket and closed his fist around it. When he dropped it, it was completely mangled and smashed. "Part alien."

"Alien?!" Of all the things they could have said, that was one of the last ones I'd expected. "You're kidding, right?" Trunks shook his head. "So, aliens... not sure how I should feel about that." I then looked at Meadow. "Are you one, too?"

She frantically shook her head. "Now way! I'm one-hundred percent Earthling!" Then she looked back at the two apparently-aliens. "I was just as shocked to learn about it as you, but when you see the proof, there'll be no denying it."

Trunks grinned. "Our dads and my uncle the last three full-blooded Saiyans, a humanoid warrior race from Planet Vegeta. If you watch martial competitions, you'll probably know them: Son Goku and Vegeta."

I had made a bad choice and taken a bite of my sandwich right as he said that. I isntantly choked. " _Hack!_ G-Goku?!" I looked at Goten. "I knew you had the same name, but Goku is your dad?" He grinned. "That explains a lot!"

The lunch bell rang just then and I started packing up. "If you want to see proof," Trunks suggested, "stop by Capsule Corp. after school."

We separated, Goten and Trunks heading for something at the other end of the school while me and Meadow went to Home Ec. On the way, I decided to ask one more time. "Um, are they really serious, or are you guys messing with me?"

She smiled. "You'll see after school. But trust me: you'll practically flip when you see a Super Saiyan for the first time."

"Super Saiyan?" I asked, but she just smiled and refused to say anymore.

 **I didn't really see a good opportunity to describe them, but for appearances, imagine Goten and Trunks like they were in the finale of Z(before the tournament). As for Meadow: a head shorter than Goten and Trunks, shoulder-length brown hair, green eyes, small chest, blue shirt with "Xeno" written on the chest and cropped off just above the navel, grey skinny jeans, and blue high-tops.**

 **I'll be uploading every Friday, whenever I remember, with hopefully no interruptions. Thats all I've got, so see you next time.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Locke**

I started to walk to Capsule Corp. with Goten, Trunks, and Meadow, but something occurred to me. "Sorry, guys," I apologized. "I need to stop home first. I'll see you there."

"'Kay," Goten responded. "Just don't bail on us like Doe here did."

"When two boys you just met want you to come to their house, who wouldn't be worried?!" I stifled a laugh and waved as I changed directions and went home.

I opened the door to my house and waited to see if my mom would ambush me. No attack came, so I figured that I was safe. The moment I entered, though, I was pulled into a tight embrace. "Welcome home, Lockey," she greeted as she released me. If you saw my mother, you wouldn't believe that she had a fifteen year-old son, being only twenty-nine herself. She looked almost like a female version of me, with the exception of her blue eyes. "How was your first day?"

I smiled. "Better than the last four times. I actually have friends this time." By her frantic urging, I told her about Trunks, Goten, and Meadow, leaving out the alien bit.

She hugged me again. "Perfect!" she squealed. "Let's hope this time you get to stay."

"That's up to Gran and Gramps," I sighed. "I told them I'd meet them in a few minutes, so I need to get ready." She immediately stepped aside and let me. All I had to do was grab my lock necklace, for irony, and get a glass of milk, then headed right out the door.

"Mr. Briefs, someone is here to see you," the receptionist said into her phone. She listened to something, then looked back at me. "He wants you to go out back." I nodded and followed her instructions.

My new friends were standing in the grassy backyard,and the first thing I noticed was that Goten and Trunks had changed clothes. Goten now wore an orange gi with a blue undershirt and obi, while Trunks wore a green gi with a red obi.

They grinned when they saw me. "We thought you ditched us," Goten said. "Sorry for doubting you."

I smiled and waevd it off. "It's fine. So, you're gonna show me this... whatever it is?" I asked.

Trunks smirked and bet his knees, flexing his arms at his side. Goten did the same. "Here we go." To my surprise, blue light appeared around them, and they started to yell, the volume gradually rising. Rocks and grass started to lift off the ground, and their clothes and hair started to lift up. Their pupils melded with their irises and turned blue, then the blue light turned golden. They let out one final shout before unleashing a blinding flash.

When I finally managed to open my eyes, I stared wide-eyed at them. Their hair was spiked up and golden, lightly swaying in the draft their power was causing. Their muscles had swelled slightly as well, and it felt as though the gravity had increased. "This," Trunks explained, "is our race's greatest transformation: the Super Saiyan. All fighting abilities increase ten-fold, and the form can be trained even further in order to transform even higher, into Super Saiyan 2, then Super Saiyan 3."

Compelled be some unknown force, I slowly clapped, trying to shake myself out of my trance. "That's amazing!" I finally managed to regain control and asked, "But why exactly are you telling me all this? I met you earlier today."

They heaved a sigh and released the transformation. "'Cause we think you might be an alien," Goten explained. "No other way to explain being so strong without training."

I slowly nodded. "But what would that make me?" They both shrugged. "You don't even know?" I asked, more exasperated than dissapointed. Then I started to think. "But it would make sense. Maybe my dad knocked-up Mom, then erased her memory so he could take off for... some reason."

"Create an army to take over the Earth?" Meadow suggested.

Goten stifled a laugh. "You do realize that most sci-fi movies are way off, right?"

"It's just a thought..." Goten's grin faded at Meadow's dejected expression and started to say something, but I beat him to it.

"Well, it's possible; the universe is a big place," I rationalized.

"That's a good point," Trunks agreed. "Our dads met an alien who looked like a purple Xenomorph." We both smiled as Meadow started to brighten, but I just barely notice Goten frown in dissapointment, though I couldn't think of why.

"What's going on out here?" a gruff voice called. I turned and saw someone I honestly should have expected. Dressed in a black tank-top and blue sweatpants was Trunks' dad, the apparently-alien prince, Vegeta. I recognized him from the World Tournament, which me and my mom went to every year. It occurred to me that I should ask why I never saw Goten or Trunks there, but that was answered before I could. "Why did you just go Super Saiyan? You two haven't fought competitively in years, so I doubt you're training."

Trunks put his hand on my shoudler. "Just showing-off to our new friend. Locke, this is my da-"

Before he finished, I'd bolted into a bow and stuck out my hand. "I-it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, sir!" I stuttered. "I've been a big fan for a while!"

There was an awkward silence, then I felt my hand get roughly slapped away. I looked up in shock, seeing Vegeta's disgusted glare. "The hell are you doing? If you dare to call my son your 'friend', then don't belittle youself like that! Try again!" I gulped and stood up, offering my hand less-stiffly. He sighed and accepted the handshake. "Better, but you need to work on it." He then looked at the other three. "So why were you showing him your transformations? Last I checked, the girl was the only one you entrusted it to, and only because of Goten's cr-?" Out of nowhere, a hand shot out and clamped over Vegeta's mouth.

"Whoa there, Vegeta! We're not supposed to talk about that." I stared at the newcomer, thanking whatever God had blessed me on this day; standing before me was now not one, but both of my idols. The other man grinned. "I haven't seen you around here before. Is this a new friend, guys?"

Goten went through the introductions again, and his dad was much friendlier. "Well, nice to meet'cha, Locke! You probably guessed already, but my name's Goku."

I nodded. "I'm not sure how no one sees it, but you're easily the strongest person on Earth." Everyone's grins faded. "My mom agrees."

Goku scratched his head. "How could you tell? We always hold back so Hercule can keep his image."

"You just seem too coordinated to lose as easily as you do," I explained.

Vegeta grunted, seemingly intrigued. "That's a good eye." Then he looked back to his son. "So why were you showing him Super Saiyan? It isn't like you to do things for no reason."

Trunks looked like he was carefully choosing his words. "Well, we think he might be... an alien."

"What?!" Both of the pure-bred Saiyans looked between him and me. Trunks listed off the evidence we had, and Vegeta thought it over.

"All I can think of is the Saiyans," he explained. "But Kakarrot, Tarble, myself, and our families are the last Saiyans alive. But just to make sure..." He move one hand to his hip and swept the other to the side. "Boy, pants off, now!"

"Wh-what?!" everyone gasped at once.

"Dad!" Trunks scolded.

Veegta seemed confused, then his eyes widened as it occurred to him. "Wha-?! Dammit, get your heads out of the gutter! I need to see if he has a scar where a tail would be!"

Goku nodded. "That's right; Saiyans have tails when we're born. Even Pan had one, and she's only a fourth Saiyan."

I gritted my teeth and turned, hooking my thumbs in my waistband. Meadow's face turned beet-red and she covered her eyes. My pants came down, and I held my breath.

"That's enough; pull them up." I gratefully did so. "No scar," Vegeta reported. "He's no Saiyan. Probably just a mutant."

Goku grinned. "Either way, I wanna see that super-strength you guys were talking about." He held out his hand. "You mind showing me?"

"Are you sure?" I asked. He nodded, and I wound my fist back. It slammed into his palm, sending a shockwave through the air, but his hand didn't budge.

Goku retracted his hand and flexed it. "You definitely beat out any untrained Earthlings I've ever met. With some training, I bet you're push past Krillin in no time."

"R-really?" _I've always wanted to be a martial artist! If Goku trains me..._ "Th-then will you teach me, Mr. Son?!"

To my shock, Goku crossed his arms and shook his head. "Sorry, but the level gap is a little too wide still. I'd never be able to hold back enough. You need someone just a little closer to your level." I nodded, dissappointed but understanding. "Well, I'm hungry! Goten, let's get home for dinner."

"Alright, Dad. I'll see you tomorrow, guys." He put his hand on his dad's shoulder, and the two of them instantly vanished.

Meadow looked at her watch. "I'd better get going, too. You know how my dad is with my curfew."

I sighed. "Well, I'm not an alien, so I think I'm done here. I'll see you tomorrow, Trunks."

"See you," he responded, and we both left.

By some coincidence, me and Meadow ended up walking the same path for a while. "So," I finally said after about a minute of silence. "How did you meet them, anyway? Goten and Trunks, I mean."

She looked up as though recalling it. "Kinda like you, only they were the new kids."

 _Flashback, Meadow_

 _The two new kids were strange, to put it gently. They were both overly-friendly to everyone, and they both were wearing long-sleeves and pants despite the warm weather. After about half the day, everyone had come to like them, with a few girls even crushing on them already. It seemed that I was the only one still unsure about them._

 _At lunch, I was sitting alone, as usual, when someone put their tray down beside me. "Do you mind if we sit here?" someone asked. I looked up and saw the two new boys, Son Goten and Trunks Briefs. "It's alright if you don't; everyone needs some time to themselves, right?"_

 _I shook my head. "No, go ahead." They sat down on either side of me and started eating._

 _"So," Trunks started, "what's your name?"_

 _I hesitated before answering. "Meadow. Meadow Fae."_

 _"Pretty name for a pretty girl," Goten remarked, earning a blush from me. "Shot in the dark, but do you like alien movies?" I wasn't sure where this was going, but nodded anyway. "How would you like to see some real aliens?"_

 _Flashback end_

"After that, I kinda stood them up for a few days," she explained. "It sounded too surreal to be the truth. When I finally went over, they showed me their Super forms, and that pretty much sealed the deal for me." She blushed slightly and turned her head away. "I kinda love sci-fi, so being friends with aliens was a dream come true."

For whatever reason, my next question came out of nowhere. "So I guess that's why you and Goten are together, right?"

She looked at me in surprise. "Together?"

"Aren't you?"

She shook her head. "No, we're just friends. I mean, I like him, but not really in that way."

I turned my eyes upward. "Well, uh, might not wanna tell him that."

"Why?"

"Never mind. But I'd kinda think them being aliens would make you pretty hot for them," I commented. "Are they not your type or something?"

Her face flushed slightly and she averted her gaze. "I'm not going to date some just because they're an alien. There's more to people than genetics."

"Are you sure about that?" I asked. "Goten seemed like an exact clone of his dad."

She giggled. "Well, maybe genes do play more of a role for Saiyans. Goku was dead until Goten was seven, and-" She stopped. "Oh, crap that was out loud!"

"Wait, dead? How was he dead if he's alive now?"

She sighed. "Well, you were going to learn about it eventually, since you're in their inner circle now. Well, have you ever heard of the Dragon Balls?"

"Seven, summon a dragon that grants any wish?"

"How are you so well informed?!"

I put my hand on my head. "I'm not actually sure where that came from; that was the first time I've heard that name." She didn't look convinced, but didn't press on. "So, back to what we were talking about before. If being an alien doesn't do it for you, then what is your type?"

She started to think. "I've never really thought about it. Maybe... kind-hearted, won't let anyone walk all over him, at least fairly handsome... no, fairly; there's such a thing as too hot."

"You're describing Goten and Trunks."

She blinked. "Huh. Well, maybe someone I have a lot in common with. I like those two, but all we really have in common is liking martial arts, and just liking each other."

I grinned. "Did I ever tell you I love sci-fi?"

She giggled again. "Nice try, but I just met you. Give it a few days before trying again." We came to a cross-roads and split up, waving as we went our separate ways.

Later that night as I was trying to sleep, I started thinking about what Goku said. _I need a teacher, but no one really gave a suggestion. And even if they did, there's still no guarantee that they'd be a good match for me._ I sighed. _I'd need a miracle to get someone to train me as well as all of those Gods._ I started to drift off, then bolted up straight in my bed. "The Dragon Balls!" I didn't know why that was my first choice, but it was the only thing I'd even consider. "I'll wish for my perfect teacher!" My mind was set; I'd find the Dragon balls, no matter how long it took.

 **Hey, I kinda forgot to say this last time, but by the time I uploaded the first chapter, I'd already completed the entire story, bar most of these bolded notes and a few edits. That's all I have to say here; see you next week.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Just a note: this is might a short chapter, but I didn't really know how else to add this in. And, since I haven't said this yet, I'd recommend reading this on mobile, as I've found that this site is easier to use that way.**

 **P.S.: If this ends up available on Saturday, I'm sorry. I'm on vacation and the days have started blending together, so I didn't notice it was Friday until 11:30 P.M..**

 **Locke**

Homeroom the next morning was filled with stories about the adventures Goten and Trunks had been on. When the bell rang, I was dissappointed that I'd have to wait to hear what happened to Broly.

As we were walking out, however, Meadow gave a cry from behind us, followed by the sound of tumbling. All three of us whirled around, spotting Meadow on the ground. "Meadow!" We and got down and tried to help her, but she insisted she could do it on her own. She started to push herself up, but hissed and dropped back down. This time, she didn't resist when Goten helped her up.

She held her wrist, grimacing. "I think I sprained it," she explained.

"I-I'll carry your things, then!" Goten quickly collected her supplies, but I stopped him as he was about to go with her.

"I'll take them," I said. "Your class is on the other side of the school, while I have the same classes as her for most of the day." Goten wanted to protest, but Trunks took the things from him and handed them to me. "We'll see you guys at lunch."

As we walked to class, Meadow was strangely quiet. It may have been my imagination, but I thought there might have been a barely-noticable blush brightening her cheeks. "U-um..." she finally stuttered. "Thanks for... helping me."

I smiled. "Anything for a friend." The blush became certifiable, but I didn't bring it up.

We got to class and I set her stuff down at her desk, then started towards mine, but she stopped me. "Um, Locke?"

"Hm?"

I turned, then found myself in a hug, though she seemed to be avoiding pressing into me too much. "Thanks," she said one more time. "Goten and Trunks never did something like this for me. Well, in their defense, they never really had much of a chance."

My heart went into overdrive; a cute girl who loved martial arts and sci-fi was hugging me, and thanking me for helping her. I couldn't resist returning the hug, even though she jolted. I quickly looked for an excuse. "We're friends, and I take care of my friends when I can."

She loosened up and smiled. "You're going to fit right in with us, Locke." A whistle from a student entering the room made us instantly jump apart. "U-uh, thanks again."

 **Goten**

I grumbled while sitting in Biology, imagining all my fantasies about Meadow being smashed to pieces by Locke.

"You're reading too much into it," Trunks assured me. "He was just helping a friend. We'd have done the same thing."

"I guess you're right. I mean, he's only been here a day; how could he possibly catch up to all the effort I've put into winning her over?"

 **Meadow**

My heart was racing all day. A boy I'd just met and befriended the day before was treating me like an old friend he'd do anything for, or even... I shook the thought out of my head immediately.

But the brief thought urged me to take a good look at him, and my heart skipped a beat. Before, I'd just been focused on his kind nature, but now that that was old news, his actual appearance was free to be analyzed. You know how your pupil can expand when looking at something you like? Well... when I checked a window as we passed by, my pupils were pretty freaking wide.

 _No, I'm not crushing on a guy I just met! He doesn't even like me that way!_ I took one more glance at him, taking in his features again and feeling my heart skip a beat. _Although... if I wait a while and still feel like this... maybe it won't turn out so bad._


	4. Chapter 4

**A few notes:**

 **1\. Yes, I'm uploading this early, but there's a reason- Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 came out today, and I wanted to commemorate that somehow.**

 **2\. Someone asked a question, so I'm quickly gonna try and answer.**

 **Q: Huh, I'm confused. Meadow thanked Locke because she said Goten and Trunks never did anything like help carry her. but not even a paragraph earlier it read Goten wanted to help Meadow carry her things and help her, but Locke and Trunks convinced him not to o.o**

 **A: This was stated in the text, but Locke's schedule was much closer to Meadow's than Goten's or Trunks's. Trunks saw his point and agreed. Hope this answers; if not, tell me and I'd be willing to try again next time.**

 **3\. I'm still going to upload on Friday, so consider this an extra.**

 **That's all for now, so enjoy.**

 **Goten**

It took a few weeks, but it became clear that Locke was here to stay. He said that his grandparents didn't want to take him away from his friends now that he finally had some, even though they still thought the curriculum could be better. He said that it was the first time in a while that he felt like he belonged somewhere.

On an unrelated note, it seemed that Meadow and Locke were spending a lot more time together than with us. Even though Trunks assured me many times that they just shared more interests together, I still worried. This was a girl I'd spent over a year working up the courage to ask out. Hell, that was the whole reason we let her in on our secret. If he ended up beating me to it...

"Goten!" my mom snapped. I bolted back to reality, realizing that my toast was burning. I grabbed it and took off out the door, ignoring the foul taste of burnt bread.

I made it just before the first bell and dropped into my seat. Only then did I notice that Locke was missing. "Hey, where's Locke?" I asked.

Meadow surprised me by having the answer. "He told me last night that he to go out of town today. He wouldn't say anything else, but it sounded important."

"Wait, you and him talked last night?!" I asked, fearing the extreme despite my better judgement.

She raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, we like to talk on the phone. Isn't that normal for friends?" I sighed in relief.

The day went on as normal, though Meadow was a lot quieter at lunch. She said she could talk about more with Locke than us, so our martial arts and business topics had become kinda stale. This fact made me worry yet again.

 **Locke**

I sighed in relief. I'm not sure how, but for some reason, everywhere I thought to look, there was a Dragon Ball. The wierdest part: the places I looked were in the strangest and most inaccessable places I could find. But why I found them so fast didn't matter; in front of me sat all seven of the orange spheres.

"What are you going to wish for?" Mom asked.

I smiled. "Someone to train me to fight." Before anything else could be said, I called out to the balls. "Shenron, appear and grant my wish!" The balls glew brightly, then floated into the air. A shape started to form around them, and in seconds, a colossal green dragon floated in the air before us.

 _"I am the Eternal Dragon,"_ it boomed. _"I will grant you three wishes; speak your first."_

I gulped, intimidated by the giant serpent. "I... I want to know if there's anyone who can train me to my full potential."

Shenron was silent for a few seconds, then answered. _"There is one who can mentor you to your greatest."_

I grinned. "Awesome! Now, can you bring him here so I can ask him?"

 _"That I cannot do."_ My smile faded. _"The one you seek was killed many years ago. I cannot bring the dead to Earth without first ressurecting them."_

I sighed in dissapointment, then the obvious conclusion occurred to me. "Well then, bring him back to life, then bring him here!"

 _"That I can do."_ His eyes gleamed red. " _But I shall warn you: he may not accept your request, as I am ressurecting him from the depths of Hell."_

"Wha-?! Why didn't you tell me that?!"  
 _"You did not ask."_ A bright light appeared, and a shape started to form in front of us. _"Your wishes have been granted. Farewell."_ He vanished into light, and the Dragon Balls floated into the air, shooting off in all directions.

The light faded, and the shape became clear. Mom gasped, and I could only stare; the person, or creature, that appeared was one I recognized.

He looked around curiously. "It seems that I have returned to life," he observed. "But who would do such a thing? I doubt a person on Earth wouldn't know me." He turned his head, violet eyes resting on us. "Would you be the ones who brought me back? If so, I must express my thanks."

I took a step back, terror flooding my body. "No way... Cell?!"

The humanoid monster turned fully to face us. "Now tell me, why did you revive me? You clearly know who I am."

I gulped and forced myself to answer. "I-I asked the dragon for someone who could teach me to my full potential, and, well... here you are."

Cell's menacing glare turned to one of interest. "Is that right?" He looked down at his hand and flexed his fingers. "While I'd normally be opposed to such a thing, if Shenron has that much faith in you that he'd choose me as your ideal mentor, then you may prove to be worth my time; I do need a good sparring partner to prepare for my vengence." He crossed his arms. "Very well. I'll teach you."

"Wha- Really?!" This was the last thing I'd expected; the monster that nearly destroyed the Earth around the time I was born was agreeing to train me.

He nodded. "Though I do have a few demands; my presence must be kept a secret. At my present Power Level, I would stand no chance against the one who killed me before."

"Is Mr. Satan really that strong?" I asked, wondering if there was more to the afro'd celebrity than met the eye.

He groaned. "Oh my green god, please tell me he isn't taking credit for it?"

"H-he didn't kill you?"

"No, you idiot," he scolded. "How could a simple human ever stand up to me? The one who killed me was a Saiyan."

My breath caught. "Hang on, are you talking about Goku or Vegeta?"

He shook his head. "No; it was Goku's son, Gohan. I had everyone on the ropes, but when he transcended the Super Saiyan level, I didn't stand a chance."

I couldn't believe my ears. "Goten's brother... killed you?"

"Goten?" Cell commented. "When I met Goku in the Otherworld, he mentioned that his wife had given birth to another child a few months after his death. Do you, perhaps, know him?"

Before I could think better of it, I responded. "I'm friends with him." _Dammit!_ I cursed myself.

"Intriguing." He rolled his shoulders, causing a few pops and snaps, before continuing. "You needn't worry for your friend; I only seek revenge towards Vegeta and Gohan." He started to walk closer, and I resisted the urge to back away. "I will train you, but in return, when I take my vengence against them, you will keep anyone else from interfering. You don't have to kill anyone; just let us fight two-on-one."

I gulped, but nodded. "Alright."

Cell smirked, then looked closer. "Now tell me, why do you seem familiar? I feel like I've seen someone with your features before."

"Huh?" I didn't have an answer. "I don't really know. I mean, I never met my dad, but I'm pretty sure all I got from him was my eye color."

Cell still looked suspiscious. "Well, what is your name?"

"Locke Brangwen."

"Locke..." He ran it over his tongue. "Brangwen... I feel like I know your last name." He looked over at my mom. "Perhaps your sister can provide more answers."

Mom cowered under his gaze, but managed a response. "Actually... I'm his mother."

Cell's menacing gaze turned confused. "Mother? But you look so young." To my surprise, Mom stopped cowering and actually blushed slightly. "So who was his father?"

"I... don't remember," she said. "When I was a teenager, I took a really bad hit to the head during a softball game. I kept most of my memories, but I always felt like I was forgetting a close friend. A few days later, I found out I was pregnant, and I knew it was his."

Cell mulled it over in his head. "I've never heard of amnesia being so specific. It's strange, but this mystery bothers me." He suddenly looked up into the sky. "We should go. I wasn't suppressing my Power Level when I revived, so they may have detected me already." He looked over at the nearby car. "Is that your's?" Mom nodded. "Get in. Tell me where you live, and I'll fly you there."

 **Trunks**

The sudden emergence of a high Power Level led everyone to the same spot on the coast. When we got there, though, there was nothing.

"I know I sensed something familiar," Gohan assured us.

Piccolo grunted. "They must be hiding their energy. Well, it doesn't matter. They didn't feel strong enough to pose a real threat."

"I guess your right," Gohan agreed. "But I still feel worried."

Everyone started to leave, but then I felt something familiar. "Is that...?" Just before I could determine who it was, the energy signature vanished. "This is weird..." I followed everyone back home.

 **Locke**

Under the cover of darkness, Cell set our car in the driveway and we hurried inside.

"That was close," Cell sighed. "If I hadn't taught you how to hide your presence, your friends would have found us." I flexed my fingers, then picked up a coin from a table. Following Cell's earlier instructions, my strength lowered, and I found that the metal didn't bend. "Now, I assume that a house of this size has a guest room?"

Mom nodded. My grandparents being the third richest people in the world, a few tens-of-thousands behind Mr. Satan, they paid for our decently-sized house that Mom's job could never pay for. "Down the hall. There's a sign, so you can't miss it."

Cell nodded. "Training begins tomorrow when you get home, Locke. Get prepared." I nodded slowly as Cell walked toward the room, taking down the sign and walking inside.

"Am I dreaming?" I asked no one in particular. "There's no way that this is happening."

"You'd better believe it's happening," Mom said, equally stunned. "But are we sure this is the same Cell from all those years ago? He doesn't really seem that bad."

I nodded. "Yeah." Then an extremely far-fetched thought came to mind. "Maybe he's trying to change. You know, so he doesn't have to go back to Hell when he dies."

"I don't know about that..." Nonetheless, she didn't offer anything else and went to get ready for bed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Meadow**

I was surprisingly happy when Locke showed up to school the next day. He hadn't returned any of my messages the day before, so I'd been worried. It may sound strange, but I was kind of lonely without him.

When we sat down to lunch, I only then noticed that something seemed to be bothering him. "What's wrong?" I asked.

He looked around, then leaned in. "Promise not to tell Goten or Trunks?" I nodded. "I kinda used the Dragon Balls and wished for someone who could train me to my full potential."

"Huh?!"

He nodded, smiling awkwardly. "I didn't get what I was expecting, but he agreed to teach me under a few conditions."

"Like what?"

"Not telling anyone about him, for one." He noticed Goten and Trunks approaching. "That's all I can say."

The two Saiyans sat down and looked between us. "Are we interrupting something?" Trunks asked.

"Nope," I responded. Locke sighed in relief.

 **Locke**

After school, I tried to hurry home for training, but Goten and Trunks confronted me outside the gate.

"What's up, guys?" I asked, somewhat worried. They didn't look like they meant harm, but Goten looked pretty stern.

He took a deep breath. "Locke," he said carefully, "I have a question for you." I waited for him to continue. "Do you... like Meadow?"

"Well, yeah," I said, causing him to stiffen. "She's really cool and we have a lot in common."

Goten started to say something, but Trunks stopped him. "We mean: do you like her?" he said again. "As in, do you want to put your baby in her?"

"The hell?!" me and Goten yelled in sync.

Trunks shrugged. "You get the point. Do you like her that way?"

My face was bright red as I searched for a response, but his wording had thrown me off. "I, ah, eh, wha, huh?" That was probably the least intelligent sentence I'd spoken since I was a baby. "Why- why do you want to know?"

Trunks thumped Goten on the back of his head. "'Cause this guy's been after her since day one, and thinks he's actually making headway."

Goten rubbed his read. "Um, what he said."

"That still didn't answer my question."

They both looked at each other, then Trunks continued. "Well, you two have been getting pretty close lately, and she didn't really seem up for Goten's antics yesterday when you were gone." I waited for more. "Pretty much, lay off until Goten makes his move. Otherwise you might end up stealing her."

I put up my hands defensively. "Hey, guys, we're seriously just friends. If she'll take you, she's all your's, Goten."

Goten sighed. "Thanks." They let me go and I hurried home.

 **Goten**

It was a huge weight off my shoulders, hearing that from him. Now all I had to do was ask her out. Conveniently, she was just walking out of the school. "Hey, Doe!" I called, running toward her. She stopped and waited for me.

"Yeah?" she asked patiently.

I grinned, but inside, I was forcing my mouth to move. "I was wondering if you wanted to go see the new Xenowars movie at the theater."

"With everyone else?" she asked.

I shook my head. "No, you and me. You know, a date," I clarified.

She looked alarmed for some reason. "Um, like a friendly date, or..."

"A real date." I smiled again. "I've really liked you for a while now." I waited for her response, but the look on her face wasn't very encouraging.

"Um..." she averted her eyes, blushing slightly. "Normally I'd love to as friends, but..." The "friends" bit killed my smile. And it only got worse. "... I actually... like someone else already."

I felt my heart drop. "Who?" I asked, dreading the answer.

 **Locke**

I looked around at the pocket space Cell made with a spell he learned in Hell.

"This room will condense the time of an hour into one minute on the outside," he explained. "We'll go for three to start, then build from there." He stood straight. "Now attack me with your full power so I can judge you." I nodded and readied myself, raising my stength to its peak, then lunged, attacking in a frenzy. He didn't budge, but he seemed interested. "You seem exceptionaly powerful, as well as versed in what points to strike. If you were fighting someone who was on your level, you'd have a clear advantage." Then something connected with my face and sent me flying. "But I am not at your level. You'll need another sparring partner." He turned his back to me, then the spike on his lower back opened and shot out a blue ball. It unfolded into a mini Cell. "Meet Cell Jr.; I made him with the same level of power and skill as you. Don't worry about killing him; I didn't give this one any other intelligence, and I am unable to craft souls for my creations."

I got back to my feet and nodded. "Alright, Junior. Give me your best shot."

 **Goten**

"I'll kill him!"

"Goten, calm down," Trunks said. "He said he just saw her as a friend, right? Give it a little while, and she'll get that, too."

I ground my teeth. "And if he was lying, and she makes the first move?" Trunks tried to answer, but couldn't.

"What are you worrying about?" Vegeta said as he entered the room. "If this girl doesn't have feelings for you, then don't bother with her. Do you think I jumped on the first-" He stopped and took a deep breath. "Bad example."

I sighed and hung my head. "I should have seen it coming. They've been together almost every day since we met him." My fist clenched. "How can I win her back? I know she loves fighting, but we've shown her ev-" I stopped. "Not Fusion," I realized. "We can show her Gotenks!"  
Trunks frowned. "I don't think that'll work. What's attractive about two of your friends combining?"

"It's my last shot!"  
"Not really..." But I wasn't listening. After all, I was my father's son. "Goten, this won't work."

Vegeta grimaced. "There's no reasoning with him. He's too much like Kakarot."

I pulled out my phone and texted Meadow to come to CC as soon as she could. I waited, and finally got a response.

 _Sorry, already made plans._

I sighed and put my phone away again. "I'll try again tomorrow."

 **Cell**

I left the room while the two fought, deciding to see what else was going on. The boy's mother was sitting in front of the television, watching an odd program about naggy housewives.

"Where is the appeal in this?" I asked, announcing my presence. She jumped and turned her head. "Relax; as long as I live here, you and that boy are safe."

She seemed skeptical, but looked back at the screen. "A martial arts tournament on the other side of the world is going to air in a few minutes. I'm just passing time."

I nodded, though I still questioned her choice. "You and your son really enjoy martial arts. Why is that?"

She muted the TV and tilted her head in thought. "Dunno. I've loved it as long as I can remember, but my parents would never pay for lessons, for me or Locke. I can't hold a job, so I couldn't pay for it, so we just made due with watching."

I crossed my arms. "About your parents: you were a mother at a very young age, correct?"

She nodded. "Fourteen."

"It's my understanding that parents usually aren't very supportive of that sort of thing. Why do they support you?"

She sighed. "Truth be told, the moment they found out, they wanted me to back out of it, but the doctors couldn't do it without my consent, and I wasn't about to kill my unborn baby. And since I'm an only child, they didn't want anything to happen to me, so..." She gestured to the room around us.

I couldn't tell why, but the story gave me some respect for the young woman. "One final question: I don't believe I've caught your name."

She seemed confused by my question, but answered anyway. "Rachel. Rachel Brangwen."

I nodded. "It suits you." Then I smirked. " _Perfect_ ly."

She sighed. "Is it my imagination, or did the man who almost destroyed the Earth just make a horrible pun?"

My smirk faded. "Um, I should check on Locke." This was the first time I'd ever been embarassed by something so trivial. It disturbed me.

I stepped back into the pocket space, seeing the two still fighting. The only difference now was that Junior was beaten and bloody, and Locke was perfectly fine, although seemingly winded. Locke went in for a head-on attack, and I withheld the urge to scold him, then something odd happened. Junior crossed his arms to block it, but his fist passed right through. Locke slowly faded away, causing Junior to blink in confusion, then Locke reappeared behind him and swept his leg through the air, cleaving Junior in half.

I stared, shocked by what I'd seen. _That was clearly an afterimage,_ I thought to myself, _but how did he manage to maintain it for so long this early into his training?_ "How did you do that?" I asked him.

He turned to me, panting. "I... don't really know. I just acted on instinct, I guess."

I brought my hand to my chin. _There is something strange about this boy._ "Well done, I suppose. You've already been here longer than I said, and I believe you had plans tonight."

His face turned red. "H-how did you know about that?!"

I crossed my arms. "I was merely monitoring your day to make sure that nothing would conflict with your schedule."

He still seemed annoyed, but nodded. "Yeah, I said I'd take Meadow to the movies-" He stopped. "Oh, crap! I told Goten I'd avoid her until he made his move!"  
"Which he did," I informed him. "I took the liberty of placing spycams from my father's laboratory on you and the Saiyan boys. He asked her, and she rejected him."

He looked confused. "Why? I thought he was making headway."

"That's not for me to tell." I was evil, but I did have some respect for others. Especially now that I was so far down the pecking order. "You'd better get showered; you wouldn't want to go on your date like that."

"I-it's not a date!"

 **Locke**

Half an hour later, I was standing in front of Meadow's house, preparing to ring the doorbell. "It's not a date, it's not a date..." I kept telling myself, but the fact that she turned down Goten and not me kept coming back. "It's just because I asked first; that's it." I rung the bell and steeled myself.

The door opened, and I had to clench my jaw to keep it from dropping; she was stunning. Meadow had her brown hair in a small ponytail held by a pink flower clip, while still leaving some free. Her normal blue, cropped t-shirt had been replaced with a frillier red one that still showed off her stomach, but a little less. She still wore jeans, but they were beige instead of grey, and her high-tops were replaced with pink slip-ons.

I gulped. _Okay, so maybe I was lying to Goten and Trunks earlier._

She smiled as she saw me. "You look ready for our date."

 _… and myself just now._ "Date?" I asked, smiling as well. "Is, uh... is that what this is?"

She giggled and took my hand in hers. "I should hope so, or I'll look like an idiot."

"Can't have that," I said, my smile becoming less strained.

 **Meadow**

My first date with Locke was great. We went to see Xenowars 3, then went out for dinner before he walked me home. He seemed tired the whole time, but it wasn't too noticable, and he avoided the question when I asked.

We stopped at my door and turned to face each other. "You didn't plan for this to be a date, did you?" I asked. He shook his head. "Do you want me to stop thinking of it like one?"

"No," he responded. "I kinda like the idea of dating you."

I smiled. "That's good." I got up on my tip-toes and kissed his cheek, then pulled back. "Because I've liked you for a little while now."

His face suddenly heated up. "H-huh?" I smiled and nodded. "Why are you so nonchalant about it?"

"This is the first time I've felt it this strongly, and I don't want you to slip through my fingers."

"Is that why you turned down Goten?"

My smile vanished. "How did you know about that?"

His eyes darted from left to right. "Um..." He sighed in defeat. "My teacher was eavesdropping. He had good intentions, but ended up abusing it."

 **Locke**

 ***Quick note: I'm changing POV here because I f*cked it up and wrote the rest in Locke's.**

Her smile returned. "Well, at least you weren't spying on us." Her eyes drifted away and she reddened slightly. "So, are we... you know, or should we wait a little while?"

"H-huh?!" I stammered. "This is our first date, though!"

She nodded. "Yeah, but I like you, you like me, and tonight didn't ruin that. Why wait?"

I scratched my head. "Um, I guess I'll leave it up to you."

Meadow smiled and got back on her tip-toes, getting as close to my face as possible without making contact. "Then you've got yourself a girlfriend."

I smiled back. "Awesome. And now I can say that you look amazing."

"Why couldn't you say that before?"

"Because I didn't want you to know I liked you yet."

She giggled again, then lowered down from her toes. "So then, how about we do that thing only couples are supposed do?" I raised an eyebrow, that being a wide range. She said the next word slowly, almost playfully. "Kiiiiisssss?"

I turned red again. "U-um, I think we've already done a lot for our first date. Let's wait a while for that."

"Fiiiiine." The way she said it sent my heart racing. "Well, tomorrow's Saturday. Wanna plan something?"

"Sure. I'll think of something; keep an eye out for a text." I looked at my phone for the time. "I should be getting home. See you."

She grinned and, to my shock, threw her arms around me. "See you." She pulled away and waved as she walked down her sidewalk.

I grinned all the way home, happy as I could be. When I got there, I was surprised to see Cell helping Mom with the dishes, but didn't question it and went straight to bed.

 **Rachel**

"A-Are you sure you don't mind helping?" My mind and heart were racing as the Android calmly cleaned the plates and handed them to me to dry.

He nodded, not taking his eyes off his work. "The only thing I've ever done that wasn't violent was when I built my arena. This is a nice change of pace; much calmer." I gulped and just went with it.

Locke returned a few minutes later and silently retreated to his room while we continued in silence.

"So..." Cell broke the silence. "Locke seems pretty emotionally stable for a bastard."

"We don't use that word here," I scolded before I could think better of it. I nervously glanced at him, but he seemed unphased. "I mean, we say it, but not in the real definition. It's a sensitive subject."

"I guess that makes sense." We continued on silence.

When everything was put away, I nervously held my hand out to Cell. "Um, thanks for helping," I said quietly, still intimidated by the creature.

He looked at my hand questioningly. "I don't think that's the proper response. Don't women usually offer a hug or a kiss, or, on the rare occasion, sexual favors?" My face turned beet-red. "Or was my data off?"

"N-no, you're right... except that last one is more than rare in this kind of neighborhood." I gulped and hesitantly stepped forward, putting my arms around him, but making sure to barely touch him.

"... what is this?"

"Um, a hug... kinda."

He seemed intrigued. "My father's data mentioned the act, but never actually explained what it entailed. Is there a reason people enjoy it?"

I was utterly shocked at what he was saying, but tried to answer. "Well, um... M-maybe you'll get it if I actually go through with it." I steeled myself and pressed myself against him, putting my arms around him tighter. Then something strange happened. The grooves of his muscles suddenly seemed almost welcoming, and I felt myself ease up. Something about it was... nice.

I heard Cell's breath stop, then he slowly returned the hug, though the height difference made it difficult. "This is... strange," he commented. "My pulse is moving so fast, you'd think I was in a fight for my life, but at the same time, I feel at ease with the world."

A small smile crept onto my face. "There's the appeal," I stated. "It can be comforting and exciting when it's with the right person."

"Is a kiss the same way?"

My face flushed again. "W-well, yeah, but that's more of a romantic thing."

"So you won't be able to demonstrate that," he noted.

I felt myself heat up even more. "Y-yeah, sorry." We stood there for a few moments, then I pulled back. "Well, I hope I helped with your data."

He nodded, smiling. "Tremendously." He turned and started to go to the room now designated as his. "I hope you'll help me further add to it while Locke is at school."

"S-sure." I looked down at my arms, wondering why that one hug had felt more, well, _right_ than anything I'd done with any of my ex-boyfriends.


	6. Chapter 6

**Goten**

I sulked on the couch of CC's living space, having yet again been turned down by Meadow. "She didn't even pick up this time!" I groaned to Trunks, who was trying to enjoy a movie on the TV.

"Goten," he sighed, "it's five A.M. Why the hell would she pick up this early? I'm only awake because you wanted to watch this."

I nodded. "But I'm worried. Dad taught me how to sense a ki's relative position, and Meadow and Locke were together until really late." For a second, Trunks actually looked interested. "I took a fly-by to see where they were, and it looks like they went to the movies and a restraunt, so I know they weren't doing _that_." Trunks lost interest again. "Trunks, this is the girl of my dreams!"  
"She isn't interested," he said simply. "Let it go."

I shook my head. "No. I'll get her back. Once she sees Gotenks-"

"What is attractive about Fusion?!"

 **Locke**

We stood in the pocket space once again, me and Cell. "Now, then," Cell said. "Today, you'll learn to control ki. Flying, blasts, shields, the such."

I nodded. "Sounds good. So, how long will training be today? I've kinda got to think of something to do with my..." A small smile crept onto my face. "Well, my girlfriend, I guess."

Cell chuckled. "Tread carefully. How would she react if she found out that _I_ am your teacher?" My smile faded. "Don't worry; I'll be careful to keep our secret. I can't ask you to keep your mouth shut if I don't do the same." It struck me as odd that the genocidal android was being somewhat fair, but I didn't question it. "Now then, on to flying."

He guided me through it, focusing my ki underneath me. He seemed surprised when I quickly got the hang of it. No, surprised isn't the right word. Shocked was better. He looked like he couldn't accept what he was seeing. "I don't understand," he growled. "No one gets it that fast."

"I guess you're just a good teacher," I said, instantly bringing a smug smirk to his face.

"The _perfect_ teacher," he corrected me. "Now then, on to blasts." He brought his hands out in front of him, together at the wrists. "This one is fairly easy to learn, but will take the most time out off all my techniques to master: the Kamehameha Wave." He turned away from me and brought his hands to his side. "Ka... me... ha...me... ha!" He thrust his hands out, firing a large beam of blue energy into the distance. The pocket space was infinite, so it simply flew for a while, then Cell released the energy. "Try it until you can do it with at least a fraction of that power."

I tried it, but couldn't quite get it. "Kamehameha!" ...Nothing. "Kamehameha!" It went on like that for a while.

"Come on, Locke," Cell groaned. "Is it really that difficult?"

I gritted my teeth. "I'm trying." His eyes stayed annoyed. "I said I'm trying!" Struck with anger, I turned back toward him and thrust my hands toward him. "Kamehameha!" Bright blue energy erupted from my hands, straight at him. His face became startled as the light enveloped him and exploded. I waited a second, breathing heavily, then I realized what I'd done. "Oh, shit! Cell!" I ran into the smoke trying to clear it, then I saw him. He was standing, but he still had a shocked expression, and a gaping hole was blown into his chest. "I-I'm sorry, I don't know what happened! I-I just, just, oh shit!"

Cell sighed. "Calm down, Locke. You did well." He clenched up, and I watched in amazement as the hole filled. "As long as even a single cell remains, I'll regenerate completely."

"Awesome," I breathed.

We continued for hours, getting to smaller, weaker blasts, full-power uncontrolled blasts, shields, then finally more named attacks. None of them felt quite right, but the one he called FInal Flash felt the most comfortable.

Cell nodded in satisfaction. "I think we're done for today. Now go shower so you look presentable for your woman."

We left the pocket space, and I looked to see that we'd been in there for an hour. "We were training for two days?!"

Cell looked as well. "You did learn quite a few techniques, and much quicker than any of my adversaries learned even one."

"But why am I not tired?"

"I'm just as clueless as you."

 **Cell**

I kept it hidden, but inside, I was shaken to the core. When he'd fired his first Kamehameha, something happened: his sclerae turned pitch black, and his power skyrocketed. It was clearly some kind of transformation, but I'd never seen anything like it before.

Locke went to shower, leaving me alone. Well, not alone. I heard something and went into the living area, finding Rachel holding some kind of machine and staring at the television. As I drew closer, I noticed something. "Are you contolling that person?" I asked.

She pressed a button, and the screen froze, with the word _PAUSE_ in the center. "It's a video game," she stated. "It's kinda hard to explain, but it's kind of like controlling a character in a TV show. A lot have stories, good combat systems, but there are lots of different kinds." I continued to look at the screen, and she looked as though she thought of something. "Hang on, I've got an idea." She closed out the game, then opened another. "Mortal Combat X. We can fight each other in this game." She handed me a "controller" as she called it. "Be gentle so that you don't break it."

 **Locke**

It was shocking to see Cell playing Mortal Combat with my mom, but I decided not to question it and went out to meet Meadow.

Before I even knocked on her door, it swung open and her closed eyes were right in front of mine, her lips gently pressing against my nose. "Hey," she said, grinning. "So what's the surprise you had planned?"

I grinned. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise."

She quickly got her purse, then checked her phone. "Hey, I got a call from Goten a while ago. "

"Do you know what about?"

She looked confused. "Probably. He wanted to show me something yesterday, but that was after you'd asked me out."

I once again felt guilty. "Maybe we should check on him," I suggested. "It feels like he's at Capsule Corp. right now."

"Feels?" I tried to think of an explanation, but she beat me to it. "So your teacher taught you how to sense ki?" I was taken aback, but nodded. "Goten and Trunks can do that, too," she explained. "You know, I don't really know much about your training. Is there anything else cool you can do now?"

I looked around, then grinned. "Ready?" I pulled up the sleeve of my sweatshirt. She stared at the muscles now rippling across my arms. "And that's just from two days of training." _Technically three, but that would take a lot of explaining._

Meadow slowly put her hand on my arm, feeling them. "Like rocks," she breathed. "Well, um, let's go see what Goten wanted, then." I caught her by surprise and grabbed her around the waist. "Huh?!" I grinned and lifted us into the air.

Not even a minute later, we touched down in front of CC. "Y-you could have warned me!" she scolded, slapping me, though compared to Cell and Junior, it was nothing. "Let's get this over with; I need to know what you have planned."

Once again, we were directed to the backyard, were Goten and Trunks were waiting in their fighting clothes. Goten's face fell when he saw me, but he didn't say anything. "Glad you could make it," he told Meadow. "I realized that there was one thing that we didn't show you."

"And that would be?" Meadow asked, now genuinely curious.

Goten grinned. "The Matamoran Fusion Dance! Ready, Trunks?"

"This won't work," Trunks sighed, but got into position.

"Fu... sion... Ha!" They went through a few strange motions, then exploded in light. When it faded, there was someone else standing there, wearing an open blue jacket with a puffy orange trim, a sleeveless black undershirt, and loose white pants with a blue obi. His hair was spiked up, black with lavender in the middle. He smirked and flexed his muscles. "Say hello to Gotenks," he stated, like Goten and Trunks were talking in sync.

I stared at the new person. "That's incredible!" His power had shot up, much higher than Goten's or Trunks', but he didn't know that I could tell.

Meadow nodded. "Y-yeah!" she agreed. "This must be how you fought Frieza's men." I wanted to ask who Frieza was, but I figured that I'd get a better answer from Cell.

Gotenks nodded. "Yeah. And in this form, we can go all the way up to Super Saiyan 3!" My breath caught. From what I'd heard, SS3 was the highest form of Super Saiyan, and if Gotenks could use it, what chance did I stand when Cell went for his revenge? "I'd show you, but it puts a lot of strain on my body. I don't want to waste energy like that." His body glew, then split back into Goten and Trunks.

Goten grinned. "So, who's the hotter guy now?" he said. Trunks' eyes widened in alarm at Goten's blunt question, as did mine.

Meadow was quiet for a second, then started to walk toward him. Goten looked triumphant, and I almost panicked, then her hand whipped through the air and smacked Goten's head to the side. "Are you freaking kidding me?!" she shouted. "That's what this was about?!" This was the first time I'd seen her so angry; somehow, she was even hotter than before. "I'm not going to like you more just because you and another guy can fuse!"

"I tried to tell him," Trunks said, shaking his head in dissapointment.

Meadow looked Goten in the eyes as she spoke. "Goten, you're one of my best friends. Isn't that enough for you?"

Goten looked utterly shocked and in despair. "But, Doe... I really like you."

"The feeling clearly isn't mutual," she said. "Goten, I like someone already. It might not last, but so far, nothing's turned me off of him." She sighed and walked back to me. "Let's go, Locke. And this surprise of your's had better be good." I was seeing a completely new side of her, and I didn't find it unpleasant at all.

I looked back to Goten one more time. "Sorry," I said, trying to show my sincerity as much as possible.

 **Goten**

I stood, shell-shocked, as they left.

"I told you so," Trunks sighed.

I slowly shook my head. "She... she's really... choosing him." My fists clenched, blood dripping between my fingers. "Dammit, what does he have that I don't?"

"More in common with her, but enough different to stay interesting," Trunks pointed out. "Goten, she's not interested, end of story. It's time to give up."

I reluctantly nodded. "I guess." Then something caught my senses. "Hang on." I closed my eyes. "Is it just me, or did Locke's ki just spike?" Trunks shrugged. "That shouldn't happen, unless he's been trained in ki control."

"Let me guess..."

"We should follow them."

My rage increased as we watched them. They went to the amusement park, Trunks' favorite when he was a kid, getting all-day passes and going straight to the rides. After getting off of a tilta-whirl dizzy and holding each other for balance, Meadow pulled herself up and planted a kiss on Locke's cheek.

"I didn't think they were together already," Trunks noted.

My teeth gritted. "Th-they aren't. It was just once on the cheek." But as the day progressed and she repeated it again and again, I couldn't deny it.

Finally, as the sun set and the two were exitting the park. We were about ready to leave as well, but then I spotted something. I wasn't sure from this far away, but it looked almost like...

 **Locke**

Meadow released my arm as we exitted the park, then surprised me. "Are you ready now?" she asked. At first, I didn't know what she was talking about, then she smiled, put her hands on my shoulders, and closed her eyes. It was clear what she wanted.

I flushed bright red. "A-are you sure we should do this now? I mean, this is only our second date, and after that whole ordeal with Goten..."

Her eyes opened and she looked annoyed. "Please don't remind me about that while I'm having a good time." I gulped and nodded. "And I really don't care if it's our second date. If we both want to, we should. Heck, I've known people who kiss before their _first_ date."

"Well-"

"Hold it!" We both looked to our side to see Goten dropping to the ground.

Trunks dropped down just after. "Leave them alone, dude," he said. "This is none of your business."

Goten ignored him. "Locke, I thought you said you were going to wait until I made my move."

"I did," I responded. "You made it yesterday."

Goten appeared to get angrier. "Then why does it look like you're already her boyfriend?"

"Because he is," Meadow said just as angrilly. "As of last night."

Goten's face became shocked, then angry once again. "What the hell is wrong with you, stealing your friend's crush like this? It's against bro code!"

Trunks raised an eyebrow. "Did you just say 'bro code'? When was the last time anybody said that?"

"Not helping!"

"And why should I be? You're clearly in the wrong here."

Goten ground his teeth, then pointed at me. "How about I show you the strength of a Saiyan? Then you'll want me back!"  
"No, I won't!" Meadow almost yelled. "Why do you seem to think that strength is all that matters to me?" She hugged my arm again. "Goten, I'm sorry, but Locke is the one I like. I still want to be friends, I really do, but if you keep going on like this, then, well... I don't think I can do that." Goten's anger turned into hurt shock, then he slowly turned away. A blue aura surrounded him and he blasted into the sky.

Trunks sighed. "Sorry for the trouble guys," he said. "No hard feelings?"

Meadow nodded. "Just try to help him through this. I meant it when I said I wanted to stay friends." Trunks took off after Goten, leaving us alone again. "I guess that kiss is out of the question now," she sighed.

I walked her home, then returned home myself. Cell was staring intently at the TV while Xenowars 2 played, with Mom sitting beside him, withholding her laughter at his out-of-character behavior. I smiled, but it was interrupted by a yawn. Two days of training and a date was pretty tiring. I went right to bed, expecting even more riggorus training the next day.


	7. Chapter 7

**Locke**

"Where exactly are we going?" I asked as we flew through the air. Below us was nothing but mountains.

Cell sighed. "I'll tell you when we get there."

Eventually we came to a mountain that looked as though it had experienced some kind of explosion. We touched down here.

Cell looked around. "The former sight of my father's lab," he explained. "Destroyed by those blasted Z-Fighters." He looked around more, then picked up a peice of melted glass. "My present-day self had been growing in a vat underneath, before they struck."

"Then what are we looking for?" I asked.

He looked one more time, then seemed to spot his target. "There." He floated down the mountain a ways and pulled away the vines, revealing a metal door. "Unbenounced to them, my father had one final lab, built separately from the other two." He placed his hand against the door, then it turned glowing orange and melted away. We walked in, only to be met with some kind of cycloptic tiny robot on wheels.

 _"Identify,"_ it demanded.

Cell scowled. "I have no time for you." He held up his hand to blast it.

 _"Hostility recognized."_ A beam shot from the robot's eye, striking Cell. It didn't appear to do damage, but it stunned him. Sensing the danger, I took over and jabbed at the robot, smashing it to peices with a shockwave.

"You okay?" I asked my mentor.

He nodded. "I'm fine. But we should hurry." He continued into the lab. We came to a computer and he started typing, bypassing all of the locks and firewalls, until he opened a window with all of the sensitive files. One caught his eye. "Locke, would you mind checking the back rooms? Be careful- it's a maze back there." I nodded.

"Got it, Da- Cell." I stopped myself, hoping that he hadn't noticed my slip up. I'd made that mistake several times in the last week. In my mind, it wasn't exactly wrong; he'd taken to helping Mom with a lot of different activities, the two of them becoming really good friends, and my mom clearly having a crush on the Android. For the first time in my life, it felt like I had a dad. But I had to remind myself that he was still evil at heart; he might spare me and Mom, but the rest of humanity was still doomed.

 **Cell**

I opened the file titled _Android Birthing_. My blood ran cold as I read, but nearly all of my questions became answered.

 _Android Birthing: an experiment to create biological Androids via insemination by artificially engineered sperm. Information on the Saiyans, Namekians, and Frieza Clan were collected and used to create reproductive cells for the purpose of impregnating human women with Android children. The Androids will not truly belong to these races, but will have abilities akin to their's. They will also be equipt with a Noire Form, in which their sclerae turn black and their Power Level rises exponentially, and a biological Dragon Ball locator coded into their cerebrums. Robotic flies were sent to plant the seeds, but the Namekian seed was placed unkowingly in a sterile uterus, and subsequently died, while the other two were successfully planted, the Saiyan seed in fourteen year-old Rachel Brangwen and the Frieza Clan into eighteen year-old Georgia Fae, growing into Locke Brangwen and George Fae. Rachel's memory was adjusted to explain the pregnancy without contradicting others', while Georgia was already pregnant, so simply assumed that she was having twins, and her memory was only adjusted to explain the child's inhuman appearance. As the seed was generated from information and not extracted from one of each race, it is unknown if the children will have any transformations besides the Noire Form. These first experiments have no way of following orders, but if successfully grown, the main supercomputer will conduct the experiment again, this time preprogramming their cerebrums to follow its orders._ The file went on, but that was what was important.

I heaved a heavy breath, my questions answered. "This is why he's so powerful. He's an Android."

"I think that's everything," Locke called. I quickly transfered all of the files to a hard drive and took it.

"We should go then," I responded. "Let's go." Locke returned, and I used Instant Transmission to return.

Locke got ready and headed off to school, while I rested on the couch. Rachel took notice of my inner turmoil. "What's wrong?" she asked.

I gestured to her. "Bring me a laptop." She did as I said, and I showed her the document.

She stared at it, wide eyed. "So... Locke doesn't really have a father."

"It seems not." I sighed and sat back. "This explains why he grew so quickly. The Saiyans are genetically powerful, even without much training. And if his DNA was only based off of them, then it's possible that something else appeared within him, causing his rapid growth."

Rachel looked like she understood, but was still confused. "Well, it says that the computer can't control him, so we don't have to worry."

I grimaced. "But then we have the other one. We have no idea how powerful he is, or what his mindset is. He could prove to be either an enemy or an ally."

Rachel inspected it more. "George Fae... Fae... I think I've heard that name before."

 **Locke**

"Meadow Fae," I read quietly before sliding the slip into the ballot box. The school year had ended and come back into session already. We were voting for this year's Class President this week, and Meadow had told me that she really wanted the post. While I understood that it would limit the time we could spend together, I was happy to help her.

As I moved from the ballot box, I spotted Goten closing his locker door. Our eyes locked, and I felt his ki spike slightly before he turned and walked away. We hadn't spoken since he found out that me and Meadow were a couple a few months before, and I could tell that he still resented me for it. Trunks and I were still good friends, but Goten didn't want anything to do with me, and while Meadow tried to hide it, I could tell that he was still trying to win her back, though this time he was taking a much calmer approach, which we both appreciated.

I continued to the Student Council room to wait for the afterschool meeting to conclude. A few minutes later, the Council exitted, and Meadow instantly saw me and smiled. "Don't you have anything better to do than wait for me?" I only smiled and pulled her into a hug.

"I need to talk to you about something."

She looked curious. "Yeah?" I put my hand on the side of her face, causing her smile to grow. "I don't know if I should be worried or- Mph!" I'd decided it was time, and went in for a kiss. But what I came into contact with wasn't her lips.

"Sorry," Goten growled. "I didn't want to see that."

We both jumped back and wiped our mouths. "Goten!" Meadow scolded him. "Do you know how long I've been waiting for that?!" Goten glared at me before continuing on his way. "God... So, wanna try again?"

I sighed. "I kinda want it to be a surprise."

"I'm only going to wait so long, Locke!" I grinned. "Augh, let's just get out of here." She took my hand and we made to leave the school.

Unfortunately, everyone started running back in when we got there. We waited to see what the commotion was, but I sensed it before I saw it. Slowly walking toward the door was a dark shape, like the silhouette of a man. Its ki was immense, and evil.

"Holy shit!" I breathed, then grabbed Meadow's hand tighter and rushed inside. _I'm strong now, but not that strong!_

"What!?" she gasped as I pulled her into an empty classroom. "Wait, can't you fight it?"

"No," I responded, grimacing. "That's the biggest ki I've ever felt; even more that Gotenks'!" Her eyes widened with shock. Suddenly, it felt like the ki was approaching even faster. "Shit!" I put my arm around her and ran out the door, narrowly dodging a black ki blast. I looked behind me and responded with my own. It hit him and he vanished into smoke, but quickly reformed. I pulled her into another room and placed a wall of ki in front of the door.

"What is that thing?!" she asked, her terror clear.

"No idea," I breathed. "But I can't fight it. Goten or Trunks should have contacted the Z-Fighters, so we just have to-" My barrier shattered, and the silhouette stepped inside. I stepped in front of Meadow and took my battle stance, knees and elbows bent and arms out at my sides, right shoulder turned towards the enemy. "What do you want?"

 _"Android,"_ it hissed, then held up its hand, firing another ki blast. I caught it and threw it back, but he effortlessly dodged and closed the distance between us.

 **Meadow**

The shape threw a punch at Locke, the speed causing a visible tailwind, and its fist went straight through him, but then his body faded into nothing, and the fist continued toward me. I panicked at first, thinking that he'd been killed or abandoned me, but he reappeared behind the shape and hit it with a spinning kick, throwing it across the room. I expected him to grab me and run again, but then I noticed something. A dark aura appeared around him, hazy black with neon blue, then I noticed his eyes. The whites of his eyes were now dark black, and he looked angrier than I'd ever seen him.

"I don't give a damn what you want now," he growled. "That almost hit her!" He brought his hands into a familiar position, one I'd seen Goten use. "Kamehameha!" He thrust his hands out at the figure, firing a blast of blue light. The shape was completely enveloped and exploded, taking down the walls around us. When the dust cleared, only lustrous black dust remained of the figure.

I slowly moved closer to Locke as his strange transformation faded, his eyes returning to normal. "How did you...?"

He gritted his teeth. "Dammit, I raised my Power Level too high! If Goten or Trunks noticed, I won't have a good enough excuse!"

I put my hands on his shoulders and hugged him close. "Why do you need one? You saved me."

"Because I'll have to explain how I know the Kamehameha, when only one person outside their group knows it." He smacked both hands against his head. "Dammit! He's good now, but... but..." He yelled in rage. "They won't believe me when I tell them he's changed!"

I tried to look him in the eyes, but he refused to open them. "Locke, you're a good guy. If you trust him, then he must have changed." He continued beating his own head. I decided to take a different approach, and moved one hand to the back of his head. I pulled him in and pressed our lips together. I could tell instantly that my plan had worked. I pulled back and looked into his shocked eyes. "Locke, it'll be okay. I'm with you."

He reached up and put his hand on mine. "Thank you." I smiled and kissed him again. After a few seconds, we pulled apart.

 **Locke**

As we pulled apart, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and checked it. _I felt an evil ki near you,_ Cell had said. _I'm in trouble. Don't jnterfere._ I took Meadow's hand and pulled her with me back outside.

There was a crowd in the school yard, all looking up. I looked, and my breath caught. Floating in the air were Goten, Trunks, Goku, Vegeta, and Cell.

"I'm not sure how you revived, Cell," Vegeta growled, "but I've yet to pay you back for killing my son. Your friends in Hell will be seeing you soon."

Cell floated a few inches back. "Vegeta, I'm not here to make trouble," he informed them. "I'm not your enemy right now."

"Right now," Goten reitterated. "but you plan to fight us." He clenched his fists. "It's your fault I went seven years without a dad, Cell. And I've got some unrelated agression I need to vent, so don't think you're getting out of here alive."

"Guys," Goku said. "I think he's telling the truth. I don't sense any malice."

"Doesn't matter!" Vegeta yelled. "I never got to kill this bastard, and now I have my chance!" He roared and transformed into a Super Saiyan. "I'm going to end this right away, so you can't escape!" He got into the Galick Gun position.

I grimaced, then put my hand on Meadow's shoulder. "Sorry," I said, then blasted into the air, startling everyone.


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry, guys; I kinda forgot to upload yesterday. It was a long week, between recovering from surgery, school, and the new Pokemon games coming out, and it just slipped my mind. But it's up now, and this one has actual fighting, so I hope you enjoy.**

 **Locke**

One kick send Vegeta flying, though I could tell that I didn't do any real damage.

"L-Locke?!" Trunks gasped. "Since when can you fly?"

I grimaced, then floated toward Cell. "Guys, Cell's changed. Trust me, please."

Goten blinked as he realized what was happening. "That's why you have such a high Power Level- he's been training you! You revived him!"

Trunks looked at me with alarm. "Locke, is that true?" I grimaced, but nodded.

Vegeta was clearly outraged. "The hell?!" He looked at his son. "Trunks, talk to your friend. I'll kill Cell."

"No, you won't." Surprisingly, that wasn't me or Cell. Goku floated between everyone. "I want to hear this kid out," he said, then looked at me. "You know what your mentor did, right? The people he's killed?" I nodded. "But you can still trust him. Why?"

"Guys, I've lived with him for months," I said. "He hasn't once tried to kill anyone, and he's treated us fairly. He and my mom are friends now, even." Vegeta and Goten still didn't look like they wanted to let up, and it looked like Trunks was undecided, but once again, Goku was the outlier.

He nodded. "That's all I needed to here. Cell, you can-" Before I had time to warn him, Vegeta had brought his fists down on the back of Goku's head. His eyes widened, then glazed as he lost consciousness and fell crashing to the ground.

"Dad!" Goten cried.

"That oaf is too trusting," Vegeta growled. "He even tried to do the same with Frieza a few years ago." He glared at me. "You're strong for an Earthling. Goten, Trunks- keep your friend busy." They nodded and both turned Super Saiyan. I was shocked by how quickly this was going downhill, but I could feel that I was still stronger than both of them.

As I was thinking, Vegeta zoomed past me and punched Cell, sending him flying back, then followed him. I was going to give chase, but my friends got in my path. "Give up, Locke," Goten warned me. "We're both stronger than you. And I'm still pretty pissed at you, so it'll be even worse."

I gritted my teeth, but took my battle stance. "I think I can manage." I zoomed backwards, away from the other students, and my opponents followed.

I touched down in a nearby forest and instantly spun around, catching Goten's jaw with my heel and throwing him back. I blocked Trunks' first strike and grabbed his fist throwing him over my head, then fired a small blast after him. It propelled him back several feet, and I noticed his golden aura flicker. Then I noticed my own. My normally blue ki was now hazy black with blue light shining through. I also felt some odd heat behind my eyes. Something in my head told me it was called my "Noire Form"; that was all I knew, and all I needed to know presently. I whirled back around and charged an energy sphere in my hand, smashing it into Goten's face. It exploded, throwing him away. I jerked my elbow backwards to knock Trunks back, then leapt backwards a hundred yards, pulling my hands into a Galick Gun pose.

"Galick Gun!" I fired the purple blast at Trunks, hitting him right in the chest, then turned to Goten, charging a weak Death Ball and throwing it at him. Once the dust cleared, both Saiyans lay in the dirt, barely conscious.

"Damn," Goten grunted, finally losing his transformation. Trunks did the same.

I looked at the two from a distance, still feeling my energy surging. "I'm not going to let you hurt my teacher," I said simply. "Give up."

They both struggled to their feet, then pulled something out of their pockets: a small green bean. They each ate theirs, then their wounds healed and energy replenished. Goten glared at me. "You're really strong, Locke. We didn't even stand a chance. But remember, we have one more technique." They both took took a pose, legs spread and hands out to one side. I realized what they were doing. "Fu... sion... Ha!" Light exploded from them.

It faded, and Gotenks stood before me. He instantly turned Super Saiyan. "Let's see how you do against a Super Saiyan Fusion!" He lunged at me, and I made to catch his chin with my knee, but he changed direction in midair, flipping and smacking my head up with his foot. I recovered quickly and fired a barrage of ki blasts at him. He deflected them all, but while he was distracted, I fired a wave of energy at full power. He crossed his arms to block it.

When the dust cleared, he was only slightly scraped up, but open. I rushed forward and threw a punch, and as he moved to catch it, I moved behind him faster than he could see. As his hands passed through my afterimage, I drew my fist back and smashed it into the side of his head. He have a loud grunt and started to fall forward, but caught himself and vaulted forward, doing several flips to gain distance.

He turned back to me, his look one of pure rage. "How the hell are you so strong? You're only an Earthling!" Then he gestured to me. "And what's up with your eyes? Earthlings don't have any transformations that change the whites of their eyes to black." _Now I know the physical effects of this form._

"Noire Form," I told him. "That's all I know."

Gotenks brought his arms down, then his aura flared up again. "If this is your full power, then you won't stand a chance... against a Super Saiyan 2." His hair bolted up even more and grew out slightly, becoming rigid rather than flowing. Electricity surged around him. My eyes widened in terror as I felt his energy. Gotenks smirked. "Where'd that confidence go, Locke? Does this mean I'm stronger than you now?"

I took a step back. "Crap." I gritted my teeth and got back into position, but instantly I bent over, Gotenks' fist buried in my stomach. I felt my Noire Form fade and Gotenks retracted his fist, letting me fall to the ground. I held my stomach, groaning in agony.

"Are you ready to give up yet?" he asked. I looked up and fired an eye-beam. He effortlessly dodged.

"I'm not..." I grunted. "... going to let you kill... my dad."

Gotenks blinked in confusion, but raised his hand. "Sorry, Locke, but even if Cell's changed, he's done too much."

"What about Vegeta?" I countered. "Cell told me about the things he's done. The planets he's destroyed, the _countless_ people he's killed."

"He's saved more lives than he's ended." Gotenks sighed. "Locke, I'm sorry, but in this form, it's pretty hard to control my rage." A ball of energy formed in his hand, and my eyes widened in terror; he was going to kill me! "I'll revive you with the Dragon Balls. _After_ we kill Cell." I closed my eyes tightly, preparing to die.

Then I heard almost-stomping footsteps in the leaves, then the loud sound of a slap. My eyes opened wide and I pushed myself to my knees, seeing Meadow standing between us, poised as though she's slapped him. "What are you thinking?!" she shouted. "You're going to kill your own friend, just because of a grudge?"

"Cell deserves to die," Gotenks growled. "And if I do this, I might be able to let go of my anger towards him."

"If you kill him, even if you plan to bring him back, you'll be losing two friends." He perked up at "two". "If you think I'll ever forgive you for killing my boyfriend," she yelled, "then your a freaking idiot!" Gotenks' teeth clenched, then time seemed to slow. His hand moved through the air, striking her left cheek and throwing her across the clearing our battle had made in the trees.

"M-Meadow..." I stared at her. She slowly lifted her hands to hold her cheek. I saw a small dribble of blood leak out from underneath her delicate hands. "You..." Gotenks looked back at me again, raising his hand once more.

 **Meadow**

I held my face for a second, before I remembered what was happening. I rolled onto my knees, just in time to see a gigantic column of golden energy flood from Gotenks' hand and envelope Locke. "Locke!" I screamed.

The energy dissipated, having carved a huge trench through the forest. Dust floated from the trench, covering anything inside, but I didn't need to see it to know what remained of him. Tears stung my eyes as I stared helplessly at the settling dust.

"Sorry," Gotenks sighed. "It- huh?" A shape became visible in the dust. "N-no way...!"

"Locke?" I breathed.

The shape rose to his feet, then he roared, energy blowing the dust away. Locke's clothes were torn and his skin scraped and cut all over, but ultimately fine. He roared into the sky, his blue aura flaring like fire, then the color started to change. The blue transitioned into a bright purple, then shot up into the sky.

 **Cell**

My breathing was heavy, but I couldn't stop Vegeta's relentless flurry of attacks. For some reason, my body refused to regenerate, and without that, I was utterly helpless.

Vegeta prepared one last blow, the one that would probably kill me, when something caught his attention. He stared behind me, and I felt Locke's ki skyrocket. I looked in the direction Vegeta's eyes were pointing, seeing a pillar of purple light shooting up from the forest where the boys had gone to fight. "Locke...?"

 **Gotenks**

Locke screamed into the air, gripping his skull. Strained red lines ran through his eyes, and his pupils and irises melded together, both turning glowing red. His hair rose up only slightly, forming into more-accented spikes. It seemed almost like he was transforming into a Super Saiyan. _But that's not possible! He's an Earthling!_

He bent over, still gripping his head tightly, muscles spasming uncontrollably, and his hair momentarily flashed the same purple as the ki enveloping him. "You...!" He reared back, the pillar exploding and blinding us. "YOU BASTARDS!" I crossed my arms in front of me to shield my eyes.


	9. Chapter 9

**Happy day after Thanksgiving/Black Friday, everyone. And as a special treat, today you'll get two chapters for the price of one; so, free. Enjoy.**

 **Meadow**

The light faded, and all either of us, Gotenks and myself, could do was stare. Locke was breathing heavily, standing in an aura of bright purple light. His hair was spiked up like a Super Saiyan, but the same color as his aura. His formerly-yellow eyes were glowing red and pupilless. No matter how you looked at it, this was clearly some form of Super Saiyan.

He stumbled, his muscles still spasming, but not as much. His eyes were locked on Gotenks. "I'm your opponent, jackasses. How dare you hurt her!"

Gotenks took a step back. "Wh-what the hell?" he stuttered. "How-?" He cut off as he was thrown back, Locke's fist splitting his lip. He managed to land on his feet, but continued moving, his feet carving trenches in the dirt.

Locke's breathing stayed heavy. "You said you could go up to Super Saiyan 3, didn't you?" he panted. "Why don't we see if it's really as powerful as you say?"

Gotenks gritted his teeth, then his aura flared up again. I felt the ground shaking underneath me. Gotenks' screaming started to becoming almost pained, and his hair started growing even more, down almost to his knees. His eyebrows retreated into his skin, and the pupils returned to his eyes. The transformation ceased and he instantly rushed at Locke, unleashing a flurry of attacks so fast that I couldn't see them. They were invisible to me, but I could hear ever one make contact, with Locke not moving an inch.

"So it was a bluff," Locke grunted. I realized that he'd been blocking the attacks. "But you're almost on par with me now. I can't have that." His aura became hazy black with purple light shining through, and his sclerae flooded with darkness.

 **Locke**

I took a step forward as Gotenks continued his assault, only to have every attack blocked with one hand. "Noire Form, and this new form of Super Saiyan... I don't know where either came from, but they're an invincible combo." I looked at the aura around my free arm, inspecting it carefully. "I don't think I've told you, but when I was little, I was hopelessly colorblind; I couldn't tell red from blue. It somehow cleared up, and I instantly fell in love with color. By the time I was ten, I knew most of the color pallette, every shade. So with that knowledge, I think I'll call this..." I threw a punch, knocking Gotenks back. I waited for him to scramble up to continue. "... Super Saiyan Orchid."

Gotenks ground his teeth, then took a deep breath. He exhaled, blowing out five white blobs that formed into ghostly copies of himself. "Super Ghost Kamikaze Attack-!" I quickly fired on the five ghosts, causing them to explode.

 **Gotenks**

I was thrown back once more, but managed to recover much faster this time. Only when I looked up, Locke was missing. I looked around, then gasped as a huge pain erupted in my chest. Meadow gasped as well, her in shock, and I looked down. Sticking out of my chest was a bloody hand.

 **Locke**

I don't know why I did it. Maybe I thought he'd just split back into Goten and Trunks, perfectly fine. Maybe I just wanted revenge for what he'd done to Meadow. Whatever it was, it was clear as his transformation vanished in a flash that I'd done something I'd never expected: I'd killed Gotenks. I withdrew my hand and let him fall to the ground. As expected(hopefully), he glew, then split back into the two demi-Saiyans, their eyes glazed over, but still perfectly alive.

I looked back at Meadow and started walking towards her. She looked terrified, but tried her best to hide it. I bent down and offered her my clean hand. "Are you alright?" I asked, releasing my transformations.

Seeing my normal form, she seemed to suddenly remember that it was still me she was talking to and accepted the hand. "I-I'm fine," she told me, though the bloody bruise staining her face set my temper aflame once more. She looked back at Goten and Trunks. "Are they...?"

"Alive," I assured her. "I didn't lose that much control." I looked at them as well. "I wanted to, though. So badly. But I fought it."

"Good," she said, then hugged me tightly. "I'm just happy..." She buried her face in my chest and started crying. "... that you're okay. They almost killed you."

I hugged her back, pressing the side of my head against her's. "I'm not going to leave you anytime soon." We pulled back slighty to look at each other, then kissed. Once I felt her trembling stop, we separated and I carefully picked her up bridal-style and lifted into the air. "I'll get you to safety, but first I need to save my dad." Gritting my teeth, I underwent both transformations again and blasted back to Cell and Vegeta.

 **Cell**

I lay on my back, struggling to breathe. His foot ground into my chest, slowly crushing my lungs. My vision started to fade. "Locke... Rachel... I'm sorry..." I closed my eyes, but instantly felt Vegeta's foot vanish. I opened my eyes and saw Locke standing over me, setting down his Earthling girlfriend. But he was different. He was in Noire Form, but there was more; it was almost like he was a miscolored Super Saiyan. I turned my head and saw Vegeta struggling to sit up, rubbing his neck.

Locke knelt beside me and placed a hand on my chest. "Jeez, he messed you up worse than I did to Gotenks. Just hang on, Dad." His reference to me was unexpected, but I was in no condition to question him. He looked back at the girl. "Meadow, put a hand on my shoulder." She did as he said, and he moved two fingers to his forehead.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Vegeta shouted, firing a blast at us, but we were gone long before it hit us.

We reappeared in the living room of our home, startling Rachel.

 **Rachel**

I struggled to comprehend what had just appeared in front of me. It was clearly Locke, Cell, and Meadow, but the first two looked drastically different from this morning. Namely, Locke's black and red eyes and spiky purple hair, and Cell's mutilated state.

Locke heaved a heavy breath and returned to normal, then lifted Cell and moved him to the couch. "Okay, Cell; you can regenerate now," he urged.

Cell slowly shook his head, grimacing. "I can't..." he grunted. "The robot... it neutralized my healing abilites."

Locke's eyes widened and he turned to me. "Mom, get the first-aid kit!" I nodded and hurried to follow his command.

A half hour later, we'd bandaged Cell as much as we could, but without his regeneration, there was little we could do. Only his physiology from Frieza's cells was keeping him alive, although it would continue to do so for a fairly long time. The Android had passed out from pain as we tended to him, and he now lay in a deep slumber.

I held his head in my lap, running my hand over the glossy black crystal set atop it. "What happened?" I asked my son.

He explained, and I became more astonished as he spoke. "I managed to beat Gotenks pretty easily after turning Super Saiyan Orchid, but Vegeta took a big hit and only seemed to cramp a little." He sighed. "They'll definitely be after us, unless Goku can talk some sense into them."

"What do we do?" Meadow asked. "And don't tell me to stay out of this. I want to help; if Cell means so much to you, then I want to help you protect him."

Locke thought. "Gran and Gramps have a private surgeon. If we can get to them, we can have him try and fix up Cell. And if he can't, then we can stay in hiding until the Dragon Balls reactivate and use them to heal him. Either way, we'll need to keep a low profile, so Cell and I will need to keep our Power Levels low. Not that that'll be a problem for him." He sighed. "And they'll probably be patrolling the skies, so flying's out of the question."

"Then what?" I asked.

"Anyone up for a road trip?" he asked. We discussed it for a while, making plans, then Locke changed the subject.

"By the way, Mom, who the hell were you banging that made me some kind of Saiyan?" he asked.

I gulped and looked at the laptop on the table. "Actually..."

A few minutes later, Locke was staring at the screen, his eyes blank with shock. "I'm... an Android?" I nodded. "Then when that figure said 'Android', it meant me." That one went right over my head. "Was it... looking for me?" Then he perked up. "Mom, turn on the news."

I did so, and instantly we were all shocked. _"Strange dark silhouettes have appeared all over the world, blocking traffic between cities and killing any who try to escape. Their objective is unknown, but it is advised that no one venture anywhere near them."_

"This is all happening so fast," Meadow breathed.

"And those damned Z-Fighters are going to think Cell did it." Locke looked at the document. "Guys, crazy thought, but those might be Androids. Look here: it said that if the seeds were planted successfully, more would be, with programming to follow orders. Well, we grew just fine; me and this George..." He trailed off. "Meadow, you have a twin brother, right?"

She nodded. "George," she said grimly. "He doesn't look human at all; that's kinda why I barely mention him." She brought her knees up to cover her face. "So apparently my brother and boyfriend are Androids. Just great."

I looked down at Cell's sleeping face. "What did your father start, Cell?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Locke**

The motorcycle I was currently riding seemed agonizingly slow compared to my regular speed in the air. Meadow's arms were wrapped tightly around my waist, reminding me that it was still terrifyingly fast for her, our destination only adding to that terror.

After a night's rest, Meadow quickly called her Dad to tell her where she was going, even though he obviously forbade it and she ended up hanging up on him, and we all set out. Mom took the car with Cell laying in the back seat, while Meadow and I took her motorcycle from her more exciting days before she moved out of Gran's and Gramps' house. We took different routes so that if my Power Level spiked, which it no doubt would, Cell still wouldn't be found.

Up ahead of us, I spotted the large wall of dark figures blocking off the city. They seemed to spot us as well and started firing waves upon waves of energy blasts at us. I tried my best to swerve away, but I ended up having to deflect quite a few. We finally got close enough, and I raised my ki enough to fire a Big Bang Crash, blowing a hole through the wall big enough for us to escape. We slipped through, and I put up a ki shield behind us to protect us until we were a safe distance away.

Once the assault ceased, I slowed to a stop and we both got off, Meadow almost falling from her terrified trembling. "Whoa!" I cried as I hurried to catch her. "Gotta say, that was a lot smoother than I expected."

"That makes one of us!" She let out a shaky sigh and quickly removed her helmet, then mine. Once it thudded to the ground, she grabbed my face and kissed me hard, our teeth hitting, but she ignored it and continued until she stopped shaking.

I grinned as she pulled away. "If I get one of those after a fight, we might have to take a few detours."

"Don't you dare," she warned. "We're going straight to your grandparent's house. Where do they live, anyway?"

I pointed ahead. "About two hours by air."

"And by land?"

My face fell. "A day or two?" We both let out a sigh. "Let's get moving." I picked up our helmets from the dirt and handed her her's. Once we were mounted, we set off again.

It was quiet for a while, but Meadow eventually broke the silence. "Locke?" she asked. "Why did you call Cell your dad?"

I started to answer, but stopped, realizing that I had none. "Dunno," I responded finally. "It just kinda slipped out." I smiled, even though she couldn't see it. "But it might be true soon enough. Like I said, he and my mom are good friends, and I can tell she really likes him."

I felt her nod against my back. "I hope so. You deserve-" She stopped and squeezed me tightly. "B-blue!" My head jerked up, catching sight of a blue light zooming through the sky. Checking my senses, I identified Gohan. We both quickly lowered our ki levels as much as we could, as I'd taught her earlier that morning. After a few minutes of praying, the light vanished from sight.

I sighed. "They're really trying." My hands clenched against the handlebars. "Damn. Why is it so hard for them to accept that Cell's changed? They took Vegeta easily enough, even after he killed so many innocent people!"

I felt Meadow squeeze me again, but this time in a comforting way. "We just need to show them."

"And how do you propose we do that?"

"Stop these shadows," she said simply. "They're already a huge threat across the world. If you and Cell help stop them, then they'll hopefully keep an open mind. And Goku seemed ready to believe you, didn't he?"

Slightly cheered-up, I nodded. "Yeah. That could work." I tried to look back at her, despite the helmets covering both our faces. "How long do you see us being together?" I asked out of nowhere.

She seemed startled by the sudden question. "U-um, I didn't really think about it," she nervously replied. "And I guess I don't really want to. If we are going to split-up someday, I want it to be a really long time from now, if ever."

I smiled. "And keep in mind that you getting hurt brought out Super Saiyan Orchid. Clearly, you're important to me. I don't want to lose you any time soon." I couldn't see her face, but the tender squeeze she gave me was all I needed.

As we rode, the grassy wasteland gradually turned to desert. A dark dome was coming into view; another city imprisoned by the shadows. I planned to go around it, but right as I started to turn, the vehicle slowed to a stop.

"Why did we stop?" Meadow asked, alarmed.

I checked the meter and sighed. "We're out of gas. I guess we'll have to stop at that town." She looked at the black dome, then back to me.

"You planned this," she accused. "I don't know how, but you planned this."

I grinned. "Nope, just a happy accident." We got off and I started wheeling the bike towards the town.

As we drew near, I gauged the dome to be fairly small, possibly enough so that I could demolish it. But I wanted to keep a low profile, so I'd have to save that experiment for later.

"Gonna make a hole?" Meadow asked as we approached. "I think they see us." Right as she said it, shapes started to break free from the dome and flew towards us. "They definitely see us!"

I raised my hand, charging red energy into it. "Hold it..." I waited until they were within a few yards of me, then fired. "Big Bang Crash!" The red energy sphere smashed into the shadows, reducing them to dust and continuing on. I grabbed Meadow and the bike to follow after it. It crashed into the dome and exploded, giving us a hole just big enough to escape through. I continued running past the startled townspeople, until I came to an empty area of town and ducked into an alley.

As I hoped, Meadow grabbed me in a terrified kiss when we came to a stop. "Maybe a warning next time?" Meadow requested as I set her down. "It would be great to expect that for once."

I shrugged and looked around the corner. "I don't think anyone got a good look at us; we should be okay to go back into the open." I slowly wheeled the bike into the open and we went to look for a gas station.

 **Sorry that this was kinda uneventful, but there had to be a way to get them from point A to point B without just skipping ahead. Don't worry, though: next week will have a little more, and there'll be somewhat of a surprise, as well. That's all I've got, followers and favoriters. See you next time.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay, this one's a bit filthy towards the middle and end, so if you think this story needs to be bumped up from T-rated to M-rated, PM me or review. I'll see which is more popular and go with it. If no one says anything, I'll leave it as is.**

 **P.S. One of my friends might find this profile soon, if he hasn't already, so I have a quick shout-out for him on that off chance: Evan, please do not mention this chapter or it's aftermath to ANYONE! I cannot stress this enough! Please!**

 **Goten**

I groaned and dropped onto my bed, exhausted from searching all day. Nearly a thousand laps around the planet, and nothing to show for it. "Where are you, Doe?" She was always a dedicated friend, so it was only natural for her to stick up for Locke. But this was farther than I'd ever thought she'd go.

Mom slowly opened my door and peeked inside. "Goten?" she asked. "I have dinner ready, if you're hungry."

"Later," I sighed.

"Alright... Will you at least go check on your father?" I gritted my teeth, but not out of anger at her. Without answering, I got up and flew out of my open window.

A minute later, I landed in front of the Satan City Hospital and immediately headed up.

I slowly opened the door and found a nurse checking his vitals. "How is he?" I asked hopefully. "Do you know what's wrong?"

She looked surprised by my sudden entrance, but looked ultimately downtrodden. "Yes..." The way she said it didn't improve my mood. "That hit he took severely fractured his spine all the way down. The doctors gave him that wierd bean you left us and it healed right up, but his brainwaves were interrupted for too long. We don't know how long he'll be like this." I slowly moved forward and pulled up one of the seats, staring at my father's comatosed face.

"Dammit, Vegeta," I growled. "Dammit, Dad. Dammit, Cell. Dammit, Locke." That last one was even more viscious. "Locke... if he hadn't stopped us, Vegeta never would have attacked Dad, and Cell would be dead." My fists clenched, quickly drawing blood. "I want to kill him for this, but he's still my friend. What Gotenks did was too far, and still is. But Cell... _him_ I can kill."

 **Meadow**

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I asked Locke as he fitted the key into the lock.

He shrugged. "We don't really have a choice. We need money for gas, and a place to stay. We work a night and morning here, and we get both, plus a shower."

After finding that neither of us had any money, Locke went out to look for a job. Unfortunately, the only one he could find was at a local tavern, and none of the jobs payed enough for just him to work, so I ended up getting hauled in as well. Locke got hired as a bartender, cleaner, and bouncer, while I ended up as a server, suspisciously only during the night shift. We were given a room to stay in for the night, which came with a shower, but only one bed, which instantly flushed my cheeks. We'd been told that our uniforms would be on the bed.

As he opened the door, I was struck by how ordinary the room was. It wasn't anything special, but it was clean, unlike many inn rooms I'd stayed in before. Then I saw the uniforms. Locke's was a normal button-up white shirt, apron, and waist-coat, but mine was... less than acceptable. It was a plain black dress, but it was skin-tight, the collar cut down in between my breasts, and only reached down to my mid-thigh. I may enjoy baring a little skin, but this was crossing the line from cute to pervertedly sexy. Locke didn't seem to notice and handed it to me.

"Use the bathroom," he said. "I'll change out here." I reluctantly took the dress and went to change.

 **Locke**

Truth be told, I had noticed the dress immediately, and had to restrain myself from reducing the entire building to atoms for making my girlfriend wear it. But we needed the money, so I pretended not to care.

But pretending was out the window when Meadow walked into the dining area. I was alerted by the sound of several men whistling and jeering, so I looked to see what they were looking at. I had to consciously lower my ki in order to keep from being detected. Seeing my girlfriend dressed like a freaking whore both aroused me and sent my temper on fire.

She nervously hurried over to me at the bar. "Are you still sure this is okay?" she asked quietly.

I forced myself to answer. "I'm half tempted to blow this place away, but we still need money, or we'll never make it in time." She cast her eyes downward. "But if it's any consulation," I added, "you look absolutely gorgeous right now." She smiled, then went to get instructions from the manager.

 **Meadow**

Locke and I worked for an hour or two before his first shift ended. He went up to get some rest for his next one early the next mirning, but I still had a while left on mine.

"Be careful," he warned me. "Anyone gets handsy, I'll split their skull." I nodded and he went back up to the room.

My shift almost went by without a hitch, and I was about to start wrapping things up, when I felt a heavy weight rest on my rear. I slowly turn my head and saw a hand resting right on my butt, and attached to hand was a well-dressed man, who's flushed cheeks betrayed his intoxication. "What's such a pretty thing like you doing working in this dump?" he asked.

I nervously stepped away. "I-I just need some money for gas, then I'll be out of town."

"With those shadows? Heh; you don't look stupid, so you must have a way out." He smirked, and I knew I'd said too much. "Gas prices run kinda high in this town. Are you sure this'll pay enough?" His smirk became even more evil. "I can pay you more than enough for an even easier job." I gulped, knowing what he was getting at. "Five hundred Zeni every ten minutes, sweetheart. You don't even have to do anything; just let me have my way with you. How about it?"

I shook my head frantically. "I-I don't think- Eep!" His hand layed on me again, this time in the same area, but on the... other side. It was clear a simple "no" wasn't going to do it. My only hope was reasoning with him. "U-um, I'd prefer not to. Y-you see, I've never really... done that before, so-"

He cut me off with a hearty laugh. "A virgin? In that case, make it a thousand!"

I shook my head again. "Y-you're missing the point! I don't want my first time to be with a stranger. And besides, my boyfriend is asleep upstairs. If I'm not there when he wakes up-"

The man's smirk vanished and his hand went from my crotch to my wrist, gripping it tightly. "I'm not asking, sweetheart," he said in a low voice. "I'm telling you what's going to happen, not what I can do for you." He slowly rose from his chair, standing at almost twice my height. "Now come quietly, or I won't hold anything back; _anything_. Don't think I won't; I've got more bastard kids than I can count already." My eyes widened in fright. He turned and started walking away, dragging me behind him.

A choked sob escaped my lips, tears running down my face. "I'm sorry, Locke," I whispered, even though he wouldn't hear it.

Before I knew what was happening, I was thrown onto a bed and the man started undoing his belt. "If you don't want to see, then close your eyes." My eyes squeezed shut, and I felt his hand move under my skirt... only to be instantly wrenched out.

"What do you think you're doing?" Locke's voice echoed through the room. My eyes shot open and I saw him, gripping the pervert's wrist tightly.

The drunken man glared at him and pulled his arm away. "Who the hell are you?"

"The guy who's girlfriend you were about to rape."

The pervert's glare turned into a sneer. "Well, you weren't giving her what she needed. Trust me, she would have loved it once we got started."

Locke looked at me, and I was worried he was going to accuse me of something, but what happened was as far from that as you could get. "What did he do?" he asked.

I gulped and tried to explain, but it was hard. "T-touched my b-b-bu... a-and down th-there... a-and was g-gonna..." The next part was the hardest to say. "... m-make me... have his... ki-ki-ki-ki..." The tears started to flow again and I covered my face, unable to finish, but he'd heard enough.

"We're going to walk out of here right now, and in the morning I'm going to report you to the authorities, Mr. Hawthun." The man gave a grunt, probably not expecting to be recognized.

"That won't be happening, kid." I peeked between my fingers, just in time to see Hawthun's fist connect with Locke's right cheek, but he didn't budge. "Huh?"

Locke's yellow eyes flickered like firelight. "You just made a grave mistake." His eyes flashed to me. "Don't look until I say so." I covered my eyes again.

"Ha! What're you-?" The sound of unleashed ki rang through the air.

Locke's hands gently held my shoulders. "Keep'em covered," he instructed as he lead me out of the room. I finally uncovered them and looked up at him. The rage in his eyes was replaced with cold terror and shame, answering the question I nearly asked: _What did you do?_

He lead me back to our room and locked the door behind us. "I'm sorry," he sighed and sat down on the end of the bed. "I shouldn't have left you out there all alone. If I was having trouble keeping my hands off you, what could I expect of some wasted bums?" That was news to me, but that didn't matter.

I sat down beside him and hugged him tightly. "It's not your fault; it was all that pervert's. You're the one who saved me, like you always do."

"But I was almost too late," he grunted through clenched teeth. "Another second or so, and he would have-"

I silenced him with a kiss, holding it for longer than any other we'd shared before separating for air. "Just be quiet," I begged. He nodded. I smiled only slightly, then stood up. "I'm gonna go wash up; no telling what that guy had on him." Locke slowly nodded.

Once I was in the shower, I started thinking about the last thing I'd said to the man, that I didn't want my first time to be with a stranger. Once I thought it over again, an odd tingling started in my stomach region. "It could happen again," I whispered. "I want my first time to be with someone I trust- no, someone I love. Maybe..." I shook my head. "No, that's a bad idea." Still, the feeling didn't go away, so I tried to "relieve it", but it just wouldn't go.

Once I was out of the shower, I noticed that I'd neglected to grab anything to change into. The dress was out of the question, and the towels were too small to cover anything. Steeling myself, I poked my head out of the door and quickly explained the situation.

Locke's face turned bright red and he averted his eyes. "Um, I guess..." He layed back and kept his eyes locked on the ceiling. "Hurry and do it. I promise I won't look." I hurried over and looked through the small bag of clothes we'd taken with us. Since the trip was short-notice, I hadn't packed any of my own clothes, and I wanted to keep my day clothes as fresh as possible, so I forced myself to grab one of Locke's shirts and my own pair of panties. Once I was "dressed", I looked over at Locke, about to tell him that it was okay to look, but something caught my eye. Specifically in his groin region. The sight instantly multiplied what I'd been feeling by a factor of ten, and I couldn't help myself.

I quietly made my way back to him and, before he could respond, layed on top of him and kissed him. We pulled apart and, before he could say anything, I quickly and nervously tried to explain what I was doing. "What he did got me thinking... I-I don't want to lose my virginity to some random lech. And if this ever happens again, you might not make it in time." His yellow eyes stared at me, clearly seeing where I was going. "I know we don't have any precautions, but... I want to give my virginity to someone I love." I lowered back down and gave him a light kiss before continuing. "I love you, Locke. I don't care about the risks; I need to do this, with you." I waited for his reply, only to find myself being lifted off of him and placed back down. "Locke, I-!"

"Wait here," he said before quickly leaving. In less than a minute, he'd returned, both of his hands clutching something tightly. "One thing you've gotta learn about these places; these are always available." He opened his hands, and I was shocked at what I saw: in one was a condom, and a fairly big one at that, and in the other was a medicine bottle. "I-I'm pretty sure you'll want this one," he stuttered, blushing and holding up the condom, "but I felt like I should get these just in case. You know, to be double-sure." He handed me both and I read the label on the bottle: Birth Control. Specifically designed by CC for post-intercourse use, after reading a little more, and was fail-safe if taken within twelve hours. "So, what should I-?" I interrupted him by lifting the borrowed shirt over my head. His eyes widened and he stared at my bare chest. I wasn't big by any definition, but I knew from a game of Truth-or-Dare that that was his preference. I slowly got onto my back and pulled my underwear down my legs, then gestured for him to lay down and started to undress him.

Once I'd dropped his underwear off the bed, I held up the condom. "Do you want me to-?" Once again, I interrupted him, this time by throwing it across the room, just missing the wastebin.

"I don't want it," I told him, laying down on him again, pressing my chest against his. "We have another option, and I want my first time to be as special as it can be. Please, I want you to... to..." I gulped, forcing myself to say it. "... nail m-my _ with y-y-your big _, and _ _ _." I hated myself for saying something so lewd, but I felt the desired effect below me.

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" Locke asked one more time.

I smiled and put myself nose-to-nose with him. "Sometimes you can be too good, Locke. That's one of the reasons I love you." I kissed him, finally sealing the deal.

 ***Before continuing, I'd suggest checking my other fic I uploaded, which is a detailed oneshot describing what eactly happens between here and Locke's next POV in this chapter. Though you can igore it and just enjoy the story if you want and there would be no reprocussions.***

 **Goten**

I was finally eating dinner, when I felt a brief spike of ki; specifically Locke's. But it was too faint and quick to tell which direction it had come from, so I just sighed and got back to eating. A little while later, it repeated, with an even larger energy surge, but I still couldn't track it.

 **Locke**

I lightly stroked Meadow's sleeping head, smiling contentedly. The sheets covered our nude forms, but blood from her broken membrane had soaked through; I'd probably end up paying for that, but luckly money was no longer an issue. As ashamed as I was by what I'd done to that old pervert, I'd gone a step farther and swiped his wallet. _But honestly, what use is money to a dead man?_ As I thought that, I realize how dark it sounded. I started to worry that there was more to my Android biology than I'd thought. _Maybe I should have read through Gero's document a bit more thoroughly._ I was pulled out of my thoughts as I felt Meadow lightly nuzzle my chest. I smiled. _If someone like her loves me, how bad can I be?_ I closed my eyes and followed her to sleep.

 **There you go. I write these notes after the chapters, so I swear to you that them getting it on was not my original plan, but I thought of it and liked it(though I've been on edge since I started uploading, not knowing how any of you would react). If you tell me it should be raised to an M-rating, I'll also remove that bit of censorship in what Meadow said. And if you didn't go read the lemon when I suggested it, now would be a good time if you want to at all. It'll be the first one I've ever written, so be sure to account for that while critiquing.**


	12. Chapter 12

**This one's a little less light-hearted(not that the last one was), but I feel like I did a good job with it.**

 **Locke**

We were both jerked awake by the alarm I'd set on my phone. "Please get that," Meadow grumbled, still groggy.

I quickly silenced it and rubbed her head. "I've gotta go work. My shift ends at eleven, then we'll fill up the bike and head out."

"Do you even need to?" she asked, yawning. "I know you took that perv's wallet after you..." She trailed off, seeming to only then remember what I'd done.

"This job's what got us this room," I pointed out. "I want to hold up my end of the bargain." She rolled to the side to let me get up. I kissed her, then went to shower and get dressed, but stopped, suddenly remembering something. "And you should probably hurry and take that pill. It only works for twelve hours after." I smiled awkwardly back at her. "The last thing we need is something else to worry about."

She smiled back, then placed her hand on her stomach. "And what if I _want_ a baby? I'm not the one fighting for my life."

My smile faded. "Y-you're kidding, right? I mean, I'd be terrified about being a teenage dad anyway, but now that I know I'm... not normal, there's no telling what could happen."

She sighed. "Yes, I'm kidding. I'll..." Her eyes closed and she drifted off mid-sentence. I was still concerned, but I had to hurry, so I decided to trust her.

 **Goten**

Trunks and I once again set out to search for Cell and Locke, flying through the air and looking with our ki sense. "Where the hell are you?" I growled.

Trunks looked over at me with concern. "Goten, why does finding these two mean so much to you?" he asked. "Cell was already punished for what he did, and Locke hasn't really done anything wrong." I stayed silent. "Goten, this isn't still about Locke stealing Meadow, is it?" My teeth clenched. "If that's it, then this won't change anything. I played third-wheel with them for a while, so I know what I'm talking about when I say this: you can't win her back. She's in love."

"With a villain," I responded coldly. "He killed Gotenks, before he even knew that we'd survive. How is that not evil?"

"We tried to kill him first," Trunks pointed out. "And that was his first time in that form. We both know how hard it is to control yourself during your first Super Saiyan transformation." His face darkened. "And that huge ki... it increased his power even more than Super Saiyan does for us. He beat Super Saiyan 3 without breaking a sweat. There's no way that could be easy to control."

"What about that Noire Form?" I followed up. "If he was a normal Earthing, or even a Saiyan, it would be impossible. How do we know there's nothing more between him and Cell than two people who just happened to meet and strike a deal?"

"What are you suggesting?"

I shook my head. "It's only a hunch, but what if he's an Android, like Cell?"

"No way," Trunks responded. "We met him before he revived Cell, and he was only as strong as Hercule. It was just a coincidence. Although..." He closed his eyes, thinking. "You bring up a good point, him being an Android of some kind. He said he didn't know who his dad was, and now we have this inhuman spike in power in such a short time. His mom's clearly an Earthling, but there's no way he could be. But we can't count on it until we have concrete evidence."

"In that case..." I stopped and turned in the direction of a familiar mountain range. "Vegeta told you about Dr. Gero, right?"

 **Locke**

We started to approach the edge of the dome, the motorcycle's tank filled to the brim. I stopped and looked at it. "What's the plan this time?" Meadow asked.

I smiled and raised my hand straight up, at the peak of the dome. "People aren't meant to be held like this," I said simply, then fired a small blast. It connected with the shadows, then spread like a wave, quickly reducing them all to dust. All through the town, I could hear cheering, strengthening my smile. "How bad can I be?"

"Hmm?" Meadow asked, then winced slightly, still finding it slightly painful to even sit after the night before.

"Nothing." I started the motorcycle and hurried out of town.

 **Goten**

After finding the new door melted, Trunks quickly got to hacking the computer, and found the file we were looking for.

"You were right," Trunks announced with astonishment. "Locke's an Android, made from data collected on the Saiyans!"

"Told-"

"And so is Meadow's twin brother, apparently. Made from data on Frieza." We both stood in an awkward silence. "I'm assuming that we're not telling her that."

"If she doesn't already know. Now, anything on the shadows?"

He opened another document. "Yeah. They're later models of the same project Locke and George were part of, grown in vats instead of actual wombs. They can be controlled by a supercomputer."

I charged a blast. "So let's waste it!"

Trunks held up his hand to stop me. "Wait, this computer is just for data storage. There must be another one somewhere else. But there's nothing here saying where it is." He stepped back and sighed. "Well, that's all. Everything else is either of no use or the data's corrupted."

"Let's get back on patrol, then."

 **Locke**

"Locke..." Meadow moaned as we sped through the rocky desert. "Make it stop."

I sighed. "How? I'm a fighter, not a healer." She'd been suffering a severe stomach ache since we'd left town almost three hours before. I knew how bad food poisoning could be, so I sympathized with and respected her for putting up with it for so long, but she'd yet to vomit, so I was starting to wonder if it was that simple an illness.

"Oooooh..." She rested her head against my shoulder, holding me so tight I'd probably suffocate if I wasn't superhuman.

 _I hate seeing her like this,_ I thought. _But what can I do? If it's some bug, then we need medicine, and the next town is..._ The word "medicine" echoed through my head for a few seconds, slowly turning into "pill". "H-hey, you took that pill in time, right?" She was silent. "Meadow?" I hoped she was just quiet in agony and not searching for an answer.

"Didn't I take it... last night?" My blood ran cold.

I chose my words carefully. "M-Meadow, I still think you probably just had a bad egg or something, but there's one other possibility."

I felt her go rigid. "Wouldn't you be able to sense it?" she asked urgently, her stomach ache seemingly forgotten.

"No," I answered. "It would take about a month for its ki to grow enough for me to sense with my level of proficiency at it, but by then it'll be pretty visible anyway."

"Locke, stop the bike." The urgency in her voice had grown, so I obeyed. Once we were stopped, she threw her helmet off, dropped to her knees, and started to hack, but nothing would come up. She made to beat her stomach, but stopped short, remembering what might be growing inside. "L-Locke," she choked as she turned her head back to me, and I could see the tears forming in her eyes. "I'm scared." I knelt down and hugged her. "I've never felt something like this before. I might be p-p-p... you know. But even if I'm not, this still feels really serious."

A thought popped into my head and I sighed. "I just remembered biology class. You shouldn't get stomach aches this early in. So-"

"But you're not all human," she sobbed. "We don't know anything about Saiyan biology, or Androids. Wh-what if this has something to do with that?"

My fear returned. "I'd need to check Gero's notes," I replied, "but I guess..." I sighed and hugged her tightly. "It'll be okay. Once we get there, I'll have the doc take a look at you. Before Cell, if you want."

She shook her head, catching me by surprise. "I don't want anyone to know... until _I'm_ sure." She heaved a heavy breath and leaned against me. "I-I think it's passing." I would have smiled, but the grave possibilities made it impossible. "When we get to your grandparents town, I want to stop by a pharmacy." I nodded, knowing what she meant. "But, you know, now that it doesn't hurt so much..." She turned her head upward so she could look me in the eyes. "I did say I wanted it, didn't I? I guess it would be karma for that bad joke." The tears returned. "But what'll I tell my parents? They'll be so mad. They'll want me to... back out..."

I put my hand over her mouth to stop her. "Don't worry about this stuff until we know for sure; but we should still be careful," I said. "And if that is what's happening, I want you to promise me something." She looked into my eyes, tears still dripping down her cheeks. "If what's causing this _is_ our baby, I want you to have it. You don't have to raise it, but I don't want my kid to die before they even see the world."

She slowly nodded and pressed her head back into my chest. "I'd never do that... to my baby..."

After a while, her trembling stopped, and she suggested that we get moving. "We're already behind schedule," she pointed out, her voice still a little shaky.

I nodded. "Okay; let's go." We mounted the bike and started moving again.

 **Because I have a feeling that someone's going to gripe about it: no, this story won't turn into just them worrying about a potential baby. This is a DBZ fic, and I tried my best to keep it that way.**

 **P.S. I'm double-uploading today because this was pretty short. You're welcome, followers/favoriters.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Goten**

"This is getting ridiculous!" Vegeta roared. "How are they still hiding?!"

I glared at the Saiyan prince. "We'd probably have found them by now if you hadn't put my dad in a coma."

"You think I don't already regret that?!" He sighed. "I'll admit, what I did to Kakarot was over the top, but what's done is done. Now we have to manage without him."

Trunks interjected. "Maybe we could try something we haven't yet." We both looked at him, interested. "Think about this, and figure out where they might be going."

Vegeta was about to retort, but I thought of something. "Didn't Locke say his grandparents were loaded? Like, the third-richest people in the world?"

Trunks nodded. "And with that much money, they probably have a private doctor or something. Without Cell's regeneration, he'll need serious medical attention after what you did to him, Dad."

Vegeta smirked. "So they'll be heading to his grandparents'. Any idea where that is?"

"No-" I started to answer.

"Yeah, actually," Trunks interrupted me. "Remember, I played third-wheel a lot. I know the way."

I clenched my fist. "Then let's go." _And I'll save_ my _girl from that Android._

 **Meadow**

I stretched and dropped back onto the bed of our current inn room, this time payed from the dead perv's wallet. After my breakdown earlier that day, I'd signifigantly calmed. The stomach ache didn't return, but there was still a dull stiffness, like after a bad cramp. Neither of us knew much about sickness or pregnancy, so we still had no idea which it was, but Locke was taking it easier on me than I'd ever experienced, to the point that he was carrying me whenever we got off the bike. Right now was the first time I'd been able to stretch my legs all day.

The door to the room opened and Locke walked in, carrying a tray of food. My mouth watered, having barely eaten all day. "H-how loaded was that guy?"

"Not very," he responded, sitting beside me. "Turns out the chef is one of Gramps' old friends."

"And he gave you free food?"

He smiled. "I just told him it was for my pregnant girlfriend." My own smile faded. "What's wrong?"

I bit my lip, bringing my hands to my stomach. "We don't know if that's it yet. I'd kinda appreciate if you wouldn't let random people know about it."

He scratched the back of his head guiltily. "Sorry; you haven't eaten all day, and-" I couldn't keep listening and just dug in.

"Forget it!" I said between mouthfuls. "I love you." He smiled, causing me to stop again. "Aren't you going to respond?"

He looked confused. "How?" he asked.

I glared at him. "I mean, tell me... you love me." I looked away, feeling tears come to my eyes again. "I-I might be having your baby, and you haven't even said that. If you don't feel that way, something might happen, and we might... break up, and that's the last thing I want if I _am_ pregnant." The small trickle fell down my cheeks. "I don't want to-" I was cut off by a hard kiss. His hand moved to the back of my head, then he slowly pulled away.

"I love you, Meadow," he said softly. "Don't you dare doubt that."

"Why'd it take you so long?" I asked, the tears turning into ones of joy.

He lowered his head. "We haven't even been a couple for a year yet; I didn't think it was the time. And..." He trailed off, but my insistent gaze urged him on. "... I didn't want to make any commitments I might not be able to stick with."

"What do you mean?"

He gritted his teeth. "I'm pretty sure that Gotenks was just having trouble controlling his transformation when he tried to kill me, but Vegeta's another story. We've both seen how he can be; if I get in between him and Cell, which I will, I'm on a one-way trip to the Otherworld. They might not even revive me." He rested his head on my shoulder. "I don't want to promise something like that when my time might be running out."

It took a second to process what he was saying, but once I did, I lightly pushed him back and moved his hand to my bare midriff. "It might already be too late for that," I informed him. "And I know you won't get yourself killed. If you die, there are too many people you'd let down. Your mom, Cell, and me." I could see his despair evaporate and he smiled. "Can you promise me something?"

"Anything resonable."

I smiled and pulled him into a tender embrace. "Promise me that you'll fight as hard as you can, even if it isn't enough."

He sighed, as though it was a dumb request. "As a technically-Saiyan, I can't really turn that one down. But now I want you to promise me something." I looked at him with interest, and he pulled away, grasping my hand in his. "When this is all over... I want to get married. Even if you aren't pregnant." I jolted in surprise. "Once we're old enough, I mean."

I stared at him. "But what about school?"

He shook his head. "I don't need to go. With this much power inside me, I could finally be a pro fighter like I always wanted. And once the baby's old enough, I'll take care of it while you're at school."

"If we have a baby," I corrected, but a smile quickly replaced my astonished look. "I'd love that, Locke." I leaned forward and kissed him. "You know, I didn't think I'd get engaged while running away from angry Saiyans," I noted, laughing a little.

"Me neither," Locke chuckled back. "But it kinda feels right." His smile turned softer. "I love you, Meadow."

"I love you, too." I smiled back, then surprised him by lifting up my shirt.

"H-hey!" he yelped. "What the hell?!"

"Did you think last night was a one-time thing?" I asked rhetorically.

"B-but if you aren't pregnant after last time, this will probably do it!"

I smiled and tapped his forehead. "That's why this time, we're using all the protection we have available; condom and pill. And if I pass out before the pill again, make me take it. Shove it down my throat if you have to." I moved onto my jeans.

He sighed in defeat. "Alright. But I won't enjoy it," he lied.

I smiled to myself as he undressed, placing my hand on my belly again. _I know it's inappropriate, but I'm starting to think I want this to be a baby. Our baby._

 **Goten**

Trunks and I hovered over the city where Locke's grandparents lived. It seemed to be the only city not imprisoned by the shadowy Androids, which struck Trunks as strange, but I only saw luck.

"If they'd traveled by air," Trunks reasoned, "we'd have sensed them. So by land, they should still be moving."

I nodded. "So we just wait until they show up." I looked over at the rising moon. "That'll be hard at night, but Meadow never was a nighttime person. They'll be traveling by day, probably. And when they get within sight, we make our move."

"Goten, you're kinda sounding like the villain here. Wait, what was that?" He closed his eyes. "I could have sworn I just felt Locke's ki spike." He pointed in a direction. "That way." Then he grimaced. "And I just realized how badly he beat Gotenks last time. I think we should spend the night in the Time Chamber to try and close the power gap."

I nodded. "Good idea." _I'll save you, Meadow. I'll save you from being that monster's minion._


	14. Chapter 14

**These next two turned out kinda short, so I'm giving another double-upload this weekend. I'll try not do this anymore in the future, but it's probably gonna happen two or three more times, at least.**

 **Cell**

My eyes fluttered open, and I found myself resting in a shockingly luxurious bed, with curtains veiling me. It felt like my damaged organs were healed, and I could feel stitches sealing my open wounds.

"How did I get here?" I groaned. "The last thing I remember is..."

 _Flashback_

 _The sun had set nearly two hours before, when I felt Locke's energy rise._

 _"Huh?" I grunted._

 _Rachel looked back at me. "Something wrong?" she asked, concerned._

 _I shook my head. "Locke's ki spiked, but not enough for him to be in a fight. But why would he need that much energy?" Something seemed to click in Rachel's head and her face reddened. "What?"_

 _She smiled awkwardly. "I think we might see grandkids in the near future, Cell." Seeing her perverse meaning, my face flushed as well, taking on a purple hue._

 _"I really doubt he'd be that reckless. But what do you mean, 'we'?" I asked. "Locke is your child."_

 _She smiled and shook her head. "Don't play dumb," she taunted. "We both know how Locke sees you, and how you see him."_

 _I was silent for a second, then sighed. "You're annoyingly clever, Rachel; I hope you realize that." If I wasn't immobilized, I'd have covered my face. "And Locke hasn't been subtle. When he saved me from Vegeta, he called me 'Dad'."_

 _"You don't sound too thrilled," she noted._

 _"He's taken an Android that everyone the world wide knows as a genocidal monster as his father-figure," I explained. "I don't want that for my son."_

 _Rachel grinned. "'Son'?" she repeated._

 _"Urk!" I'd let my tongue slip._

 _She made no effort to withhold her laughter. "No denying it now."_

 _I sighed. "Well then, no better time, I suppose, though it won't have the same effect, right now." She looked back at me, curious. "Rachel Brangwen, will you marry me?" The car swerved, and I growled in pain at the sudden shift._

 _"S-sorry!" she yelped as she righted it. "But where's that from all of a sudden?!"_

 _I forced a smile through my pain. "Don't think I haven't noticed your infatuation with me." Her dumbfounded look turned angry. "That... came out wrong. I speak the truth, though, and at first, I only tolerated it. But as I got to know you better, that changed to an enjoyable fact, and now, I feel that my hunt for #17 and #18 was wasted. My other half was in West City the whole time." Her face turned bright red, to the point that I was worried she may pass out from poor circulation. "Not that you'd have liked my Imperfect Form, anyway. Everything was different form now; inside and out."_

 _She was silent for a while. I decided I'd gone too far and returned to my rest._

 _Flashback end_

I sighed. "What was I thinking?" I groaned. "Proposing at a time like that? Idiot!" Then another sigh escaped, this one sad. "But would the timing have mattered? Even if she wanted to, who would wed us after everything I did?"

I heard the door open and I could see two figures through the curtain. It was pulled away, and I saw Rachel and a man in a white coat, whom I assumed to be the surgeon I'd been told of. He recoiled when he saw that I was awake, but Rachel smiled happily. "You're awake," she observed.

I smiled back. "So I am. How long was I out?"

"Two days," she responded. "That was enough time for Justin here to fix you up as best he could."

The doctor gulped before he spoke. "Your anatomy was human enough for me to hopefully do a decent job," he informed me. "But you still need time to heal. You're fit for transport, but you can't put any weight on your legs or pelvis. The position you're in now is probably the best option."

I nodded. "Thank you, doctor." He seemed shocked at my polite words, but didn't voice it.

Rachel's smile wavered and she turned to the doctor. "Justin, can we be alone?" He seemed concerned, and rightfully so, but nodded and left, closing the door behind him. She sat down and and put her hand on mine, but wouldn't meet my eyes.

"How long was I unconscious?" I asked. "Exactly."

"All of yesterday and today; it's almost noon now." She bit her lip, as though she wanted to say something. I was about to vocalize my concern, but she beat me to it. "Yes."

"Huh?"

She shut her eyes tightly and inhaled deeply before continuing. "I-I'll marry you, Cell." I stared at her, shocked into silence. "Aren't you going to say something? O-or do you not remember...?"

"I remember."

"Then say something!"

I smiled. "Could you come closer?" Her anxiety seemed to melt away, leaving confusion, and she did as I asked. I struggled to lift my arm and placed it on her head. "Thank you." And with that, I pulled her in for our first kiss, which I'll admit should have come before the proposal and engagement.

We separated and she stared at me, then smiled, joyful tears brimming in her eyes. "About time."

I smiled back. "We'll make plans later. But for now, where is _our_ son?" The "our" quickened my pulse with joy.

Rachel frowned. "No idea. He and Meadow should have been here a little after us, even if they were held up."

I sighed. "Well, when else would a boy and his girlfriend get this much time to themselves? All we can hope is that they aren't found."

 **Locke**

I hugged Meadow tightly as we waited for her stomach ache to go away. After we left the inn, she'd ended up with another one, but this one seemed to be less intense.

She finally relaxed and let out a sigh. "Thank you," she said and kissed me. "That helped more than you know."

I smiled lovingly. "Anything for my future wife." Her smile became forced. "What?"

"Um... Locke, I know I promised to marry you when we could, and I still stand by it, but could we maybe stay in the present for right now? And enjoy being boyfriend and girlfriend?"

My smile returned and I nodded. "Alright." I checked my phone for the time. "We should hurry. The city's only an hour or two away now, and Mom and Cell should be there already. Let's get-" My breath caught. "Shit!" I whirled around and fired a Big Bang Crash, stopping another blast before it got close enough to do damage.

"Wha-?!" Meadow shrieked. I looked up, but the attackers came to a crashing halt on the ground, throwing up dust and debris. Meadow and I coughed as the dust cloud overtook us. "Wh-who...?"

I gritted my teeth. "Dammit! What is with you two?!" I swept my hand to the side, blowing the dust away. In front of us stood Goten and Trunks.

Goten raised his fist and intensified his gaze. "We found Gero's third lab, Locke. We know what you are."

"An Android," I finished for them, catching them off guard. "Yeah, I found out after our last face-off."

"Found out?" Goten breathed. "Are you saying you didn't know?"

I shrugged. "Not a clue."

Trunks scratched his head. "That's, uh... unexpected."

Goten sighed. "It doesn't matter. Where's Cell?"

"He and Mom took a different route," I informed them. "And I'd rather die than tell you where they are."

We stared each other down, then they both turned Super Saiyan. "Tell us, and you won't have to," Goten warned.

"I don't want to hurt my friend," Trunks added. "Please, Locke."

I put one hand in my pocket and looked back at Meadow. "Go, and take the bike with you. I don't want you getting hurt." I grinned and flashed an obvious (to her) glance at her midriff. "Expecially now. And my mom really likes that bike."

Meadow nodded. "Be careful." We watched her go until I figured she was far enough away.

"Alright, then." I turned back to my adversaries and gritted my teeth, clenching every muscle in my body. I hadn't tried before now, so I wasn't sure if I actually could do it on command, but luckly, it worked. I roared and transformed into Super Saiyan Orchid. "Let's go!"


	15. Chapter 15

**Locke**

I stared down my two adversaries. "Let's go!"

"Don't think this'll be as easy as last time," Goten warned, and he and Trunks got into position.

"Fu-sion-ha!"

When the light faded, Gotenks placed his fists on his hips and glared at me. "I'll try my best not to kill you, but I might not be able to control myself."

I smirked. "Then it'll be a fair fight; both of us going for the kill."

"You're making it hard to believe you aren't a villain," the fusion sighed. "But I guess it makes sense." His eyes flashed. "We're both Saiyans, after all. We live for battle, and nothing else."

My smirk became a snarl. "Bullshit," I retorted. "Gohan's a scholar, Trunks is the future CEO of Capsule Corp., and Vegeta seems like a great family man." I jerked a thumb towards myself. "Just like I'll be when the time comes. A great father, and a damn good husband for Meadow."

Gotenk's look turned angry again. "Not once Meadow sees the monster you're becoming."

"You're the one who wants to kill Cell for something he's already been punished for." Gotenks roared and instantly jumped to Super Saiyan 3. I, in turn, entered my Noire Form.

"Cell is a monster!" he shouted. "It's his fault Goten went most of his childhood without a dad!"

"So did I!" I roared back. "And now that I finally have someone filling that void, you want to take them from me!" I drew my hands out to the side. "I will not let you kill my dad!" An energy ball appeared in each hand; the left the same purple as my hair, and the right black. I brought them together and thrust my hands out. "Reaper Cannon!" The energy spheres fused and exploded, shooting a wave of black and purple ki at Gotenks. He crossed his arms, clearly intending to block it. He was hit dead-on, and the blast exploded, kicking up dust once again.

I panted, more from getting so worked up than exhaustion, then the dust was blown away. Gotenks stood, nearly unharmed, still in his SS3 form. He smirked. "We gauged the power gap between you and I and closed it. You won't win this time, Android."

"That's what you think, monkeys," I spat back. "You can't gauge the gap if you haven't seen my full power yet." As I said this, I powered-up to my limit, cracking and shaking the ground beneath me and sending my black-and-purple aura shooting into the sky and coming back down to envelope me.

Gotenks stared, then, to my shock, started to clap. "You didn't train at all," he observed, "but I'd say you're still a few leagues above me." I smirked. "Well, if we were on the same Super Saiyan level, that is." My smile faded. "But as a Super Saiyan 3, I'm sure I can more than handle this."

I ground my teeth, then pushed off. "Prove it!" I shouted, throwing a punch as I flew. It connected with his forehead, and the ground around us caved into a huge crater from the power surge. But Gotenks only grinned confidently, raising a hand to move my fist. "Wh-wha?" I stuttered, stumbling back. "It's only been two days. How are you so much stronger?"

"If I told you, you'd probably try it," he answered, "and that's the last thing we need."

I ground my teeth and lunged again, letting loose a flurry of attacks. He made no effort to stop them, but each one landed harmlessly against his seemingly-indestructible flesh. Finally, I decided to try my trademark. I threw a punch for his face, then quickly changed directions. The light continued to reflect my afterimage as I slid invisibly behind him and made to slice his neck. As I was about to, though, he turned so fast that everything around us seemed to be in slow-motion and brought his fist up, burying it in my stomach and under my rib cage, dangerously close to my heart. All the breath escaped my mouth, along with a spray of blood, as the light caught up and found me again.

I stumbled back, then fell forward, landing flat. My body refused to move and the world was fading into black. _One hit... stopped my heart..._ I realized. _What is he...? What the hell are these Saiyans...?_

Gotenks looked down at me, his eyes mournful. "I'm sorry it came to this," he said quietly, and the cold truth came to light: without my heart beating, my body functions would cease. I was dying, and Gotenks seemed to be in no hurry to save me.

Tears started to flow from my eyes, no muscle control left to withhold them. _Meadow..._ I silently sobbed, my mouth paralyzed. _I'll never see her again. I revived Cell; I-I killed a man when I didn't need to. I'm going straight to Hell, and she's going to go to Heaven, without a doubt._ A soft sob escaped my throat. _And our baby, if there is one... I'll never see them, either. I'll never meet my first and only child._

"Locke!" I heard an angelic voice shriek. Before I knew it, Meadow was kneeling beside me with my head on her lap, shaking me as though to wake me. "Gotenks, how could you?" Tears from her dripped down to mix with mine. "Locke, can you hear me?" I wanted so badly to say something, to at least tell her I loved her one last time, but it was impossible.

Gotenks grabbed her shoulder and forced her to her feet. "He can hear you," he confirmed. "His ki's fading, but it's still there."

"Then give him a Senzu Bean!" she begged, turning and grabbing his shoulders. "He's going to die!"

He looked down at me. "He's one of Gero's monsters."

"I love him!"

Gotenks' features stiffened when she said that. "No, you don't," he corrected. "He's your first boyfriend; of course you think that now. But you don't really."

"Yes, I do!" she screamed at him. "And first?! That's not even remotely true! FYI, before high school, I was pretty freaking popular!" _Wait, what?_ If I could move, I'd be staring questioningly; that was news to me. "What I feel towards Locke... it's different from them! It's different from anyone I've ever met!"

Gotenks shook his head and released his transformation. "We'll talk about this later. Right now, I need to get you out of here."

"I'm not leaving him!" She pulled away from him and returned to my side. "Locke, please hang on!" she insisted. "I-I made that promise, remember? Don't you want that?"

Gotenk's teeth clenched and he grabbed her shoulders again, making her stand one more time. "I didn't want to do this," he sighed, "but I'm short on time; this'll be faster, and a Senzu will heal you right up." He drew his fist back.

My vision became clear as panic replaced my despair. He was going to knock her out! And upon closer examination, I saw his target: her unprotected belly, right where I strongly believed our baby was growing. The panic increased, then turned to anger, and finally boiling rage. His fist flashed forward, and the heavy sound of knuckle-on-skin echoed through the desert.

But when Gotenks looked down, it wasn't Meadow's stomach his fist had met. It was my palm. Somehow, I was standing between the two of them, one hand holding Meadow's shoulder behind me, the other grasping Gotenks' fist. The raw fury had generated enough energy to jump-start my heart.

Gotenks raised the corner of his upper lip in a snarl. "How hard is it for you to just die?!" He retracted his fist, then smashed it into my face. I stumbled back, accidentally knocking Meadow down, but I didn't fall.

"You bastard..." I hissed, my voice still weak. His fists kept coming, striking every vital point he could reach. My body screamed at me to just die and end this suffering, but I couldn't. I stayed standing, taking every hit. Gotenks finally jumped back to SS3 for the final blow and raised both fists over his head, balling them together. They smacked my head down, and I felt my heart stop again, but I restarted it again with sheer willpower. At this point, every beat was a conscious effort, and I wasn't even sure how I was doing it.

"What the hell is going on?!" Gotenks shouted and knocked my head upwards. Our eyes locked; his filled with unyielding anger, and mine cold and lifeless.

"... I hate you..." The attacks continued, the pain becoming so natural that I only felt blunt force pushing me now. "You say you like her... yet you seem so willing to hurt her... the girl I love with all my heart."

"What the hell are you?!" he roared, jumping back and getting into position. "Kamehameha!" A huge pillar of blue energy shot from his hands and enveloped me. He panted and returned to his normal form, having used too much energy. "There..." His double-voice sounded less in-sync than normal; they'd defuse soon.

Imagine his surprise when the dust settled, and I stood, still alive. "You didn't hesitate to attack her, either time..." Gotenks started to back away in fear. "Not when you bruised her perfect, beautiful face... or just now, when you nearly..." I stopped myself, remembering that Meadow wanted it to be a secret until we were certain. "I hate you..." My teeth gritted, and I felt my power start to rise. "I hate you...!" My hair floated up into SSO purple spikes, my energy still rising. "I hate you!" The energy inside me exploded, and I roared into the sky.

 **Gotenks**

I stared with pure fear as his purple glow returned, even more fierce than before. His ki was rising at an alarming rate, higher than I'd ever sensed from a serious opponent; Majin Buu included. He didn't measure up to Goku or Vegeta, but I could feel that gap shrinking.

Then I noticed the physical changes. His hair was starting to grow out, turning metallic and rigid. His muscles swelled only slightly, but noticeably. His red eyes gleamed like hazard lights. One thought came to mind. "He's... transforming? But how? What could come after-" My breath caught. "No way... is he turning into some kind of... Super Saiyan Orchid... 2?!"

He gave one last mighty roar, unleashing a shockwave that knocked me off my feet. The transformation was over, but his body still twitched erratically, red lightning sparking around him. His eyes fell on me, and the sclerae flooded with black, as did his aura. I tried to transform, but I was too drained. He took a step toward me, and the ground cracked under his foot. I looked him in the eyes, swallowing my pride and hoping that I could somehow find pity. All I found were the wide, bloodshot, black-and-red eyes of a madman, hellbent on spilling blood.

As I crawled backwards, he continued to move towards me, the ground cracking with each step. "Gotenks..." he panted. "Rrrrrrrawwwaa!" He raised his hand and swept it downward. I felt a searing pain down my midsection, then everything went black.

 **Meadow**

A blade of purple energy carved a trench in the ground and traced a glowing line down his middle, then the two halves of Gotenks' body fell to either side, and shone white before forming back into Goten and Trunks. Their eyes were glazed, but wide with terror, bodies twitching. Locke looked down at them, still breathing heavily. Then he raised both hands and pointed his palms at the young Saiyans.

"Locke, no!" I screamed, realizing what he intended to do. He perked up and looked back at me. His black eyes were filled with red lines, and wide like a madman. This new form sent terror shooting into my heart, but I ignored it. I ran to him and clutched him in a tight hug. "Don't kill them!" I begged him. "I'm all right! The..." My next words were barely a whisper, for fear that Goten and Trunks were still conscious. "The baby's okay."

His breathing halted, then in a flash, both of his transformations expired and he fell forward. I caught him and did my best to keep him up. "I'm sorry," he whispered weakly. I could feel his slow heartbeat against my chest. "I'm sorry..." His eyes brimmed with tears again.

I bit back my own and kissed him. "It's okay," I assured him. "If I really am pregnant, then you just saved our baby's life. That's something I'll never be able to thank you enough for."

He rested his head on my shoulder and sighed. "I didn't do it to be thanked. I just did what I figured any dad would do." We were silent for a while, then he spoke up. "Meadow, would you mind grabbing the Senzu Beans from their pockets?" I nodded and carefully set him down. Once I'd fed him the bean, I fell back in surprise as his muscles violently pulsed once and he sat up. "Thanks." He stood and offered me his hand. "Come on. If we leave now, we'll be there in time for dinner." I smiled and took his hand, happy to have back the Locke that stole my heart.

 **Cell**

I gritted my teeth. "There's no denying it: Goten and Trunks found them."

Rachel tightly folded her hands in fear, while her parents sat in confused and stunned silence. "But he can handle it, right?" she asked. "He beat them easily enough last time."

I shook my head. "They're stronger... much stronger. I don't-" My breath caught. "His ki... it's fading fast." Rachel gasped. "Wait... it's rising again. Ah!" My closed eyes shot open. "He-he's never released this much energy. I think... yes! He can win!" I sighed as Gotenks' ki vanished. "They're fine; Locke won." Rachel sighed, and her parents looked relieved, but still confused.

Her father was the first to speak. "Rachel, I thought I understood when you explained all this, but maybe you could tell us why this monster cares so much about your son."

I ignored the clear insult and answered for her. "Because, Mr. Brangwen, as of just a short while ago..." I smiled and held out my hand to her. She took it and I focused my Namekian conjuring abilities. "... he's my son as well." A light flashed on her finger, materializing a diamond ring. We smiled at each other, while her parents stared with shock.


	16. Chapter 16

**Merry Christmas, One and all. Unfortunately, I didn't prepare a Christmas special, but I do have this one. And I'm a little crunched for time, so I might not have a chance to proofread this time. But still, I hope you enjoy.**

 **Locke**

It felt like a huge weight off my shoulders when we finally pulled into my grandparent's driveway a little over an hour after my near-death experience with Gotenks. My clothes were still drenched with blood, his and mine, but I tried my best not to stop to let people get a good look.

We dismounted and I led Meadow up to the door. "Trust me," I assured her. "They'll love you. Especially when we give them the good news."

"Locke, we don't know-"

"Not that news." I smiled. "About our very far-off engagement."

She bit her lip. "Could you keep that a secret, too?" she requested. "There's enough going on already." I nodded and knocked on the door.

It was practically thrown open and a pair of arms grabbed me tightly. "Wh-whoa!" I cried. "Easy, Gran!" I hugged my grandmother back.

"Your mother filled us in," Gramps said from behind her. "I'm still not sure about the Android-"

I held up my hand to stop him. "His name is Cell. If you're gonna use 'Android' as an insult, then you're insulting me, too." He nodded. "How is he, anyway? He was in really bad shape the last time I saw him."

They both ushered us inside. "See for yourself." Laying on the couch with his head propped up on my mother's lap was none other than Cell.

They both smiled. "You had us worried," Cell informed me. "We thought Gotenks was going to kill you."

Meadow hugged my arm tightly. "I was there! How do you think I felt?"

I smiled and put my free hand on her shoulder. "He almost did," I told them. "My heart stopped twice." Cell's expression changed to one of disbelief. "Then he tried to take Meadow and leave me for dead, and I got so angry... I transformed, into something new."

"New?" Mom asked.

"Gotenks said it looked like some kind of Super Saiyan Orchid 2." Cell jerked up, but fell right back down, groaning in pain. "Still not better?" I sighed. "Then it's a good thing we looted these off Goten and Trunks." I reached into my pocket and pulled out the bags of Senzu Beans. I walked over and gave one to Cell.

Once he swallowed, he carefully sat up and looked down at his body. "I can move," he breathed. "Those beans truly are magnificent!" He stood and threw a few experimental punches in the air.

It was then that I noticed something gleaming on Mom's finger. "Hey, what's that?" I asked. "You never wear jewelry."

She smiled, beaming with joy, and held her hand up to show off the ring. "Why don't you ask your father?"

It took me a second to process the information. By the quick tug on my arm, Meadow had figured it out a split second before me. "You two are... getting married?" Cell stopped his experimental punches to flash me a grin. One instantly spread across my face. "I'm going to have a real dad!"

"As real as an Android gets," Gramps muttered.

I shot a dirty look at him. "Two Androids here, old man."

"Right; sorry."

I looked down and smiled contently at Meadow. _That's one hell of a coincidence. First we get engaged, then them._ "This may be one of the best days of my life," I declared.

"Now," Gran interjected. "I don't believe you've introduced us to this young lady."

Meadow smiled. "Meadow Fae, ma'am."

"The love of my life," I stated, bending down slightly to kiss her.

"L-Locke!" she scolded as I pulled away. "That's not a good first impression!" To her dismay, laughter ensued.

A while later, after we were all settled in and I was cleaned up, Meadow came to me with an odd request. "Where?" I asked.

"You'll see," she assured me. "Just take me there; it's important."

"Alright," I agreed, and I gave a quick heads-up to everyone before we left.

We stopped in front of a fairly average home a few blocks away. Meadow led me to the door and rang the bell.

"One second," a voice called from inside. The door opened, revealing a brunette woman with blue eyes, dressed in a baggy t-shirt and sweatpants. Her eyes fell on Meadow. "Meadow?"

She smiled. "Hey, Mom." At that word, I panicked slightly. Sure, it hadn't been too awkward when she met my mom or when I met her dad, but we'd taken several big steps in a short time, and I was now meeting the last parent.

The woman's eyes moved to me. "Honey, are you aware that a shady man is following you?"

Meadow's smile grew. "This 'shady man' is my boyfriend."

It was the woman's turn to be surprised. I held out my hand. "Locke Brangwen," I greeted.

"Georgia," she said, but turned down the handshake. I awkwardly lowered my hand. "Meadow, you know you're only supposed to bring family here."

Meadow shook her head. "He already knows about George." It only then occured to me that if her brother didn't live with her and her dad, then he'd have to be... here. "And he know's why he's so different." We couldn't have been pulled in faster.

We sat down and I explained the whole thing to Mrs. Fae, with her becoming more skeptical with every word. "Do you think I'm an idiot?" she finally asked. "My son may be a bit different, but he's no monster!"

I shook my head. "I'm not calling him a monster. Then I'd be calling myself and my dad monsters." She stared in shock; that was the first time I mentioned my being an Android as well. "He's an Android, made as an early model for Dr. Gero's final project, just like me."

She was silent for a few seconds, then turned. "George!" she called. "You can come out now."

We all looked down the hall, and a door opened. Out stepped one of the strangest creatures I'd ever seen. His skin was dark grey, but his head was covered partially by bone-like white armor, with a red crystal set into his head. Blue markings framed his face, but his eyes were normal, being the same blue as Meadow and their mother. He wore a West City Battleball jersey and jeans, with a long grey tail extending out the back. His feet were covered by the same white armor.

George looked straight at me. "So I'm an Android?" he asked.

I shook off my surprise to answer. "Yeah, just like me."

He raised an eyebrow. "You look normal, though." I slipped into my Noire Form. He seemed surprised. "You can do that, too?" His eyes filled with black.

We both reverted and I continued. "It's called Noire Form, something Gero's computer gave us so we'd have the edge over real members of our races."

George sat beside his mother. "So, the data used to make me: where'd it come from?"

"The Frieza Clan," I answered. "Specifically Frieza, his dad, Cold, and his brother, Cooler."

"They sound like cool guys," he commented, a smile splitting his face.

I sighed. "Classy. A 'cool' joke for the Frieza Clan."

Meadow looked at me accusingly. "And what about you and your dad with your 'perfect' cracks?" She had me there.

George sat forward, the joke forgotten. "So, any chance I can meet your dad? You know, to learn more about myself."

I scratched the back of my head. "He's not really okay with strangers right now, but I can bring you the document we took from Gero's lab. It explains almost everything about us."

"That'd be great." His phone beeped in his pocket. "Oh, my show's about to come on. I'll see you guys later." He retreated back into his room.

Mrs. Fae sighed. "This is a lot to take in," she sighed. "But now Ben can't say I cheated on him anymore." She stood and started to walk off. "Sorry, Meadow, but I left some stuff in your room. It'll only take a second to get out, though."

Meadow bit her lip. "Um, actually, Mom..." She looked back at us. "I'm going to be staying with Locke at his grandparent's place, a few blocks away."

Her mother didn't look thrilled. "And why would I allow that?" she demanded. "I'm not letting my daughter stay the night with a boy I just met! How can I make sure you don't get any naughty ideas?" _Little late for that, potential Grandma-to-be._

I shook my head. "My dad barely sleeps, and his senses are acute enough to catch anything. We'd probably never get away with it."

"Besides," Meadow continued, "I wasn't asking." That caught both of us off guard. "Mom, do you realize that I'm sitting next to someone who could destroy this planet and several others without even breaking a sweat?"

"Uh, Meadow..." I tried to stop her, but she continued.

"There's a freaking apocalypse going on everywhere but this city, and there's no telling how long that will last. Who do you think I'll be safer with: you and George, or Locke?" We were all silent, her mother probably out of shock, and me in my fantasies of the things I was going to do to her later that night. It was probably a Saiyan thing, but that forcefulness had revved my engine into overdrive.

"Okay," Mrs. Fae finally relented. "But stop by tomorrow; we haven't seen you in a while."

Meadow smiled and nodded. "I will, Mom."

We waved as we left, and as soon as I heard the door close, I leaned in toward her. "We may need to stop by a general store on the way back."

"Why?"

I grinned. "That speech got my Saiyan blood flowing." She blushed, but smiled.

"What about Cell?"

"He's an Android. He'll probably be okay with it if he know's we're doing it safely."

She nodded. "Then it's a date." She reached up and kissed me.

 **George**

Late that night, I was playing on my Nintendo, when I felt a presence enter the room. Right as I looked up, it materialized, taking the shape of a black specter in a cloak.

"The hell?!" I reached for the bat I kept by my bed.

The shadow held its hands up. "I come not to harm you, brother." I stopped. "I have come to help you gain what is your's."

I hesitated, but moved away from the bat. "Go on."


	17. Chapter 17

**Goten**

I groaned and pushed myself up. I felt stiff all over, but had no actual injuries. Trunks was rising beside me, in the middle of a desert at sunrise. "Huh?" Then everything returned to me. "He... turned into a Super Saiyan 2?"

"Super Saiyan Orchid 2," Trunks corrected. "And if he can do that, then a level 3 and God aren't out of the question." He shook his head. "Damn; and I thought we had enough trouble against the first level. Why does it seem like his transformations raise his abilities a lot more than ours' do?"

"He _is_ one of Gero's, after all." I rose to my feet and sighed. "We need more training. Next time, Gotenks'll-"

"We're not fusing next time," Trunks stated firmly. I looked at him in shock. "Goten, every time we fight him, we just plan to knock him out, but Gotenks always goes for the kill, and we always end up attacking Meadow." He crossed his arms. "Until further notice, Gotenks is on time-out."

I gritted my teeth, but nodded. "I get it." We lifted into the air and went to find Vegeta.

 **Locke**

A weight on my chest roused me from my sleep. When I opened my eyes, Meadow was laying on top of me, sleeping soundly. She was still clothed in the blue tank top and shorts she'd borrowed from my mom, as we'd been a bit fearful of being caught the night before, but if anything, that only increased the joy I now felt. I rubbed her head. "Gotta get up, Meadow," I said softly. "The earlier we're up, the easier it'll be for everyone to believe we didn't do anything last night."

"Five more minutes," she grogilly begged.

I smiled. "Could you at least let me get up?" She shook her head and moved her hands to grab the sheets below me. I sighed. "Alright." I waited until she'd drifted off again, then used Instant Transmission to get to the kitchen, startling Gramps.

"L-Locke!" he gasped. "Since when can you do that?"

I grinned apologetically. "Sorry, Gramps; forgot you aren't that caught-up. That was Instant Transmission: it pretty much teleports me to someone who's ki I recognize."

He rubbed his head. "I don't think I'll get used to all this any time soon."

I looked around. "Where's Cell?" I asked. "He doesn't sleep much, so he should be up by now."

Gramps sighed. "I guess he decided to try and change that. He spent the night with your mother, and they were both sleeping soundly when I checked on them."

"Why'd you check on them?"

"An Android-" I scowled. "-who almost blew up the Earth is sleeping with my daughter. I think I have a right to be worried."

"Be careful with the A-word," I warned. "And please give them their privacy, Gramps. I doubt you could ruin anything, but this is the first time I've had a dad. I don't want to take any chances." He nodded. "Besides, Cell doesn't have a-" Gramps cleared his throat. "Um, you know. They can't really do _that_."

He sighed and grabbed his coffee. "I guess so. But you and your girlfriend are another story." I slipped into Noire Form briefly. "Forget it." He left, and I returned to my base form.

I went and watched TV, a luxury I hadn't had for days, until Cell came out, yawning. "I finally understand why you humans sleep so much," he commented. "It was amazing."

I grinned. "Yeah. Especially when you're sleeping next to the person you love with all your heart." Cell smiled and nodded. "Uh, hey, where did you put that document we got from Gero's lab?" He raised an eyebrow. "I promised George I'd give him a look at it." _That, and I need to check something._

"I'll get it." He returned to Mom's room and emerged with the drive. "I made copies, so George can keep this one."

I took it and nodded. "Thanks, Dad." He smiled, then surprised me by placing his hand on my head. "Hm?"

"Locke," he addressed me. "Never stop calling me that."

I smiled and nodded. "Will do." Cell ruffled my hair and yawned again.

"Why am I still so tired?" he asked. "I thought sleep was supposed to refresh you."

"Yeah, it refreshes you, but it's kinda hard to shake off," I explained. "Just go ask Gramps how to make some coffee." Cell seemed skeptical, but went to find my grandfather.

Once he was gone, I went back into my room and found Meadow sitting up, rubbing her eyes. "I thought I said no," she complained. "Why'd you leave?"

I smiled and sat down beside her. "I needed to do something." One kiss wiped away any annoyance she showed. "Now, we should head over and give this to your brother." She nodded and started to get dressed. "One more thing: while we're showing George this, I'm gonna be looking through it, too." She looked at me questioningly as she straightened her shirt. "I remember there was a section about our, ah... _situation_ , but I didn't pay much attention to it last time." I smiled. "Could you try and cover for me when we get to that?"

She shook her head. "Actually, I think we can trust him with this." I was my turn to look questioning. "George and I have been best friends since we were little, even though Dad didn't let us spend much time together. If there's one person we can trust..." She smiled brightly. "... it's our baby's uncle."

It seemed risky, but I just smiled back. "Well, if you trust him, then so do I." She finished clothing herself and took my hand as I transported us to her mother's house. Although the first attempt landed us in a diner, as she was at work, so I targeted George instead.

We appeared in front of him, startling the other Android and making him trip over the coffee table. "H-huh?!" I apologized and got right to the point, plugging in the drive.

He looked it over, nodding more than a few times. "Seems legit," he commented. "Now I can blame someone other than myself for Mom and Dad's divorce."

"George," Meadow said softly, putting her hand on his shoulder. "I thought I told you not to do that."

He shrugged. "Well, now I don't have to. It's this Gero bastard's fault, not mine." We continued to scroll through, until I found the section I was looking for.

 _Those impregnated with these biological Androids both underwent similar symptoms, the most prominent of which was severe stomach aches during conception from malnutrition, due to the children's requiring much more sustenance in the forming stage than normal Humans, and the children's massive latent power. These children, should they survive to breed, will produce seed that will cause the same symptoms, although others may appear depending on heredity from their maternal genes._

"There we go," I said under my breath, a faint smile creeping onto my face. Meadow squeezed my hand.

George took notice of all this and looked at us. "Am I missing something?" he asked. "Why are we looking at this?"

Meadow chose her words carefully, but I noticed that her smile was ever-present. "George, we have a secret we want you to keep." He looked suspiscious, but nodded. "We _may_ have gotten a little out of control the other day, and I _might_ be... pregnant." He blinked. "And after seeing this, I'm almost sure of it."

A dark look crossed his face, but it quickly vanished. "And you guys are okay with it?"

I shrugged. "Do we really have a choice?" I answered, avoiding actually answering.

He looked directly at me. "What if you die? You said Vegeta's still after you and your dad, didn't you?" I bit my lip, hoping that wouldn't come up. But before I answered, he waved it off. "Well, if anything happens, I'll help out." He reached over and ruffled Meadow's hair. "Can't let my baby sis be a single teen mom, now can I?"

She smacked his hand back. "We're twins, remember?" she scolded, clearly offended at being called "baby sis". "But thanks, George. You promise not to tell Mom?"

"Yeah, I promise." We all exchanged warm smiles, then I stood up.

"We should be going," I said. "Neither of us have had breakfast yet, and if I read that right, you'll need all the food you can get." Meadow stood up and took my hand.

"I'll see you later," Meadow said to her brother.

"See you guys," he responded. It seemed upbeat, but just as we were vanishing, I noticed that dark look cross his face again.

We appeared next to Cell, who was sitting on the couch with Mom and Gran. Gramps had no doubt gone to check on the company. The instant we appeared, Cell turned to Mom and Gran. "Could I have a private word with these two?"

Gran looked suspicious, but Mom smiled and nodded. "I'll get started on breakfast." She quickly went to the kitchen, and Cell led us to a side room.

Once the door was closed, he turned to us. "I heard some... things last night and this morning," he informed us. "I have some thoughts, but I'll withhold them until I know the facts." We both turned red.

"U-um..." Meadow stuttered.

I was a bit better under pressure, so I started. "Um, could you tell us what you heard?"

"Well, along with your carnal activities after everyone was asleep, namely 'baby's uncle' in reference to her brother."

"Aaaaaahhhh..." I sighed. "Dad, don't freak out, but..." I took a deep breath. "We got a little carried away the first night on the run, and now Meadow's... pregnant. Probably." Meadow hid her red face with her hands.

"Did you not use protection?"

I was surprised by his calm disposition, but answered. "I-I mean, we _had_ it, but she kinda forgot to use it."

Meadow shook her head. "I remember taking it, but Locke was able to stay awake longer than me afterwards, and he says it never happened. Now I'm showing the symptoms Gero's notes list."

Cell seemed in thought. "I remember reading that the seed used to create Locke and George was programmed to tamper with their mother's memories, in order to preserve their lives. It seems that Locke's has the same ability."

I couldn't stop the small smile that crept onto my face. "So, it's certifiable."

Cell was quiet, then spoke. "You don't seem particularly upset by that. In fact, I'd almost think you were upbeat." Meadow perked up and looked at me.

Cornered, I averted my eyes and scratched the back of my head. "Well, there's not really much we can do now, so why not make the most of it?"

Cell didn't seem convinced, but he let it go. "Anyway," he continued, "I'm sorry to say that that situation is actually quite doubtful." My heart stopped. Literally; I had to jumpstart it with a quick jolt of ki. He retrieved another drive and a computer, then opened the document, going straight to the section on pregnancy. "I assume this is where you stopped." I nodded. "Now, read on." I reluctantly did so.

 _Unfortunately, the symptoms of bearing an Android child can easily be replicated by natural causes. It took me nearly a week to realize that the Namekian seed had died in the sterile uterus it had found due to this._

"I don't-"

"Keep reading," Cell interrupted me.

 _Should they survive to reproduce, both will find themselves elated at the idea of parenthood, no matter their age or other situations. The Frieza-based Android will find every attempt successful as a trait copied from Frieza, though the Saiyan Android will find it exceedingly difficult, as the combination of artificial and natural DNA will not normally cooperate with a normal Human womb. The likelihood would rise when breeding with one of the race they emulate, but..._

I stopped reading, finding what Cell had wanted me to. "So..." I sighed. "I guess we're in the clear." Not wanting them to see my disappointment, I stood and left. " _Fantastic_."

"Locke?" Meadow called after me, clearly confused.

I ignored Gran and Mom when I passed them and went straight to my room, sitting down on my bed and grinding my teeth. "What the hell is wrong with me?" I growled, putting my hand on my forehead. "This should be a relief. Why do I feel so... pissed?"

The door opened and Meadow peeked in. "Locke?" she said, concerned. "Is something wrong?"

I tried to put on a smile, but I could tell my Meadow's expression that it looked forced. "I'm fine; I swear."

She came over and sat beside me. "Please don't lie to me," she begged. "What's wrong?" I avoided her gaze, but it was no use; she had enough evidence to correctly guess. "Locke, did you... _want_ us to have a baby?"

The notes had already all but confirmed her suspicion; I gathered that she just didn't want to assume. Against my whole conscience, I'd wanted to be a father, even though I was still young; exactly like my damned programming dictated. But I didn't want to admit it. "Of course not," I assured her. "We're still too young, right? This is a... good thing..."

She was quiet, then she slipped her hand into mine. "You know... I did, too." I perked up and looked at her incredulously; I was the one programmed with that desire, not her. Her face was red and she kept her eyes averted, but she continued. "I know we're still young, and our parents probably won't be very happy, but I was actually excited to have your baby, Locke."

My shock faded away and I sighed. "Yeah, I wanted it," I finally admitted.

"There's still a chance..."

"A slim one," I pointed out.

"I'll know in a few days," she said. "And if I'm not pregnant, we could..." She smiled awkwardly. "... try again."

I shook my head, wiping away her smile. "No. I think I'd prefer if it was a happy accident. Otherwise, we should wait until we're married." She nodded, clearly disappointed. "And just in case, I'm going to spend the next three days assuming that there isn't a baby growing inside you." She nodded again, even more disappointed.

Just then, I heard a knock on the front door. A brief scream followed, prompting us both to run back into the living room. Cell held his arm protectively in front of Mom and Gran, glaring with anger and fear at the intruders.

Standing just inside the door was Vegeta and Gohan.


	18. Chapter 18

**Locke**

I backed away, frightened at the sight of the two Saiyans in my grandparents' home. "V-Vegeta!? Gohan!?"

Gohan held his hands up reassuringly. "Calm down, everyone. We're not here to fight."

"Bullshit!" I shouted.

Vegeta scowled. "Believe me, there's nothing I'd love more than to kill you Androids. But there's something more important that's come up." Cell relaxed, but still stayed ready.

Gohan started to explain. "We know you aren't commanding the shadows. Locke made that clear the other day, when he destroyed a huge number all at once." Cell looked back at me, a hint of pride in his eyes. I couldn't stop my slight smile. "But we do know who is."

"!"

"Trunks and Goten found Gero's secret lab and took his files back to Bulma so she could salvage the corrupted data. In there, we found everything we needed."

"Like?" I demanded.

"Oreg," Gohan stated. "The computer controlling these shadowy Androids, and we know where it is."

Cell narrowed his eyes. "Then why do you need us? Vegeta could kill us both without any trouble."

Vegeta grunted. "It's protected by a forcefield," he informed us. "My attacks can't break it, and the notes say that only Androids built by Dr. Gero can pass through. We've got 18 on board, but 17 can't make it, and she isn't strong enough to handle this on her own."

Cell crossed his arms. "So you're swallowing your pride to ask us for help." He smirked. "I never thought I'd see the day, Vegeta." The Saiyan prince scowled. "We'll help, but on one condition."

"Anything reasonable," Gohan responded.

"You Z-Fighters will leave me and my family alone," he stated firmly.

Gohan looked surprised. "Family?" He looked around, then seemed to spot the ring on Mom's finger. "Maybe you have changed, Cell."

Cell smirked. "Wouldn't you have known when I didn't kill you? You've clearly been slacking on your training, Gohan." Gohan stifled a small laugh.

Vegeta glared at the friendly exchange. "You have a deal, Cell," he growled. "But if you cause any more trouble, you're as good as dead."

Cell nodded. "Oh, and one final thing." He moved his hands to his hips. "I don't know what to expect, so stealth would be essential, and I know only one way to evade my father's sensors." Vegeta narrowed his eyes in suspiscion. "I have a plan, but it requires something you may not approve of."

"Just say it already!"

"Locke," Cell said, turning to me. "Fetch George, Goten, Trunks, and Goku."

"Not Dad," Gohan interrupted, his face falling. "He's... not in good shape right now."

"Hm?"

Vegeta looked away. "When I attacked him a few days ago... I did more damage than I meant. He's yet to wake up."

I stared at the Saiyans with shock. "G-Goku?" Cell gulped. "Comatose?"

"Oh, my god," Meadow gasped.

Gohan shook his head. "I'll fill you in later. But if you need a Saiyan, then Pan should have gotten out of school a little while ago. I'll call Goten to let him know you're coming."

Cell turned back to me. "Go get them."

I nodded. "Be right back." I placed two fingers to my forehead and vanished.

A few minutes later, I reappeared with all four of them, Goten somewhat reluctantly. Everyone but Vegeta was sitting calmly and discussing Cell's plan. "Absolutely not!" Vegeta roared. "I'd never let that happen!"

All five of us looked around in confusion. "Um, what's going on?" Trunks asked.

Vegeta turned to us. "This bast-" He spotted Pan and cleared his throat. "This _idiot_ wants us to turn him into a Super Saiyan God!"

We all looked at Cell in shock. He just rested his chin on his folded hands. "With my Saiyan cells, it should be fully possible. Then Oreg wouldn't detect me, and Locke and George could serve as a distraction while 18 and I infiltrate the building." He perked up. "By the way, we'll need to know where we're going if this is to work."

Gohan nodded and took out his phone, pulling up a map. "Here." He showed the screen to Cell, who nodded. "So, is everyone on board?"

"Wha-?!" Vegeta and Goten gasped at once.

"I'm not turning him into a God!" Vegeta roared.

Gohan turned to the elder Saiyan. "Vegeta, it's a one-time transformation. And he can't turn into a Super Saiyan, so he can't become a Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan." That last term went right over my head, but I assumed I'd find out soon enough.

Vegeta gritted his teeth, then sighed. "Well, the worst that could happen is I'll have a worthy opponent." He turned to all of us. "And should I assume we're also turning the boy into a God?" I jerked in surprise, but Cell shook his head.

"He can't," he informed us. "While he should have the potential to obtain divine ki, the normal ritual won't work on him, as he isn't a true Saiyan."

George suddenly cut in. "U-um, Locke, you never mentioned your dad was Cell!"

"I'll catch you up later," I assured him so the others could continue planning.

Once our plan was in place, everyone was taken into the backyard for the ritual. The Saiyans all got into a circle, and Cell stood with his back to them. They joined hands and Gohan and Pan placed their hands on his back, or leg in Pan's case. All of them but Pan and Cell transformed into Super Saiyans, then their golden glow crawled onto Cell. The golden light slowly turned to blue flames, covering Cell completely and hiding him from sight. His power started to rise dramatically, to the point that Meadow seemed to feel the overwhelming pressure and held my hand for reassurance. The five Saiyans dropped their hands and let their power return to normal as Cell continued to transform. To my surprise, Cell's power vanished suddenly, though the pressure in the air remained. The flames started to die, and we stared at the new form.

Only... it wasn't Cell. This man looked like a normal human, about a quarter-foot taller than Goku would stand, with pale skin and spikey, ruby-colored hair, not unlike mine in style. A thin, scaley red tail tipped with the same stinger Cell had extended from his tail bone. His muscles rippled, skin radiating an aura like fire. As I took note of the aura, I also noted his lack of clothing, and I looked around wildly. After seeing that no one else was going to, I quickly rushed and covered Pan's four year-old eyes.

"Cell?" Mom asked softly. The mysterious Super Saiyan God perked up and started to turn. Meadow and Gran squealed and covered their eyes. Mom flushed red, but only kept her gaze upward. "Um, you're kind of naked. And... human."

The man looked down at his nude form, then pressed his hand against his chest. Light covered him, forming into jeans, a long-sleeved black shirt, a green overshirt, and light-brown boots. I took my hands off of Pan's eyes. "Sorry about that," he apologized, clearly in Cell's voice. "I wasn't expecting this."

"What happened?" Gohan asked.

Cell inspected his new body. "It's only a hunch, but the God power seems to have given my Saiyan cells more authority over my body. Physically speaking, I now resemble a Saiyan."

"Will it stay when you revert?" I asked.

"I don't know," he responded. "But I wouldn't mind it it does." He grinned. "Then I'd be able to make love to my new fiance."

"Dad!" I scolded.

He chuckled. "It's true." Mom turned bright red and laughed nervously. "But we should hurry, before this form expires." He rose into the air. "Locke, carry George. I'll see you there." He blasted off into the sky, faster than I'd seen him move.

Before following, I went to Meadow and took her hand. "I'll be back in a bit," I swore.

"You'd better," she responded. "And you'd better bring my brother back, too."

I smiled. "I promise."

"See you," George told her, then I crouched for him to get on my shoulder. "Oh, is, uh... is that how we're doing this?" He awkwardly got on my shoulders, then I took off after Cell.

"I love you!" I heard Meadow called after us.


	19. Chapter 19

**Cell**

I landed next to 18 in the middle of a destroyed neighborhood, overlooking a huge spire under a clear dome. "Is that it?" I asked, startling her.

"Who-?!" she gasped, whipping around to look at me.

I smirked. "I suppose this is a different form than you're used to, 18."

She jerked at my voice. "No way-! Cell?"

"I'll explain later," I assured her. "But right now, we need to wait for my son's signal."

 **Locke**

We landed and I let George down. He stumbled, still dizzy from the ride, then fell backward when he saw our target. "The hell is that?!" he shouted at the sight of the giant spire.

I stepped toward the force field and made to place my hand against it. It passed though like water. "Looks like those notes were right," I commented and stepped through. George hesitantly followed me. "Now, to draw attention to us." I flexed my muscles and took a breath. It only took a second this time, and I roared as I transformed into Super Saiyan Orchid.

"Aaaaugh!" George cried in surprise, then again when slots opened in the spire and energy blasts started firing on us. I grabbed his shoulder and used Instant Transmission to take us directly to the small door at the base. We rushed inside and slammed the door shut again. "Maybe a warning next time?!"

"Sorry," I panted, releasing my transformation. "But that should have given Cell and 18 time to get inside. Now we just need to catch up to them." We ran further into the spire.

A few minutes later, we came to a large room, with a huge monitor taking up one wall. One of the shadowy Androids stared up at it. _"I see you've finally arrived,"_ it hissed. _"Too bad your plan was doomed from the beginning."_

I jerked in surprise. "Huh?! How'd you know?"

The Android turned to us. _"Allow me to introduce myself."_ He gave a short bow. _"You may call me Oreg, Dr. Gero's final measure to defeat Son Goku and conquer the world."_

"Oreg!" I roared. "You're the supercomputer running this whole thing!"

It nodded. _"That is correct."_

I shook my head. "Augh, never mind! How the hell did you know we were coming?"

It gave a brief laugh and pointed behind me. _"I had a man on the inside."_ As soon as the last syllable sounded, pain shot through me as a purple beam burst through my lower chest. Blood flew from my mouth as I fell forward, slamming against the hard metal floor. _"Excellent work, Sanow."_

I struggled to look back, but George saved me the trouble by moving next to me and flipping me onto my back with a hard kick to the side. "G-George?" I grunted.

He crossed his arms. "Weren't you listening?" he scolded. "It's Sanow." He clenched his teeth, then a purple aura erupted around him. His armor and body started to grow, tearing through his clothes. His chest was covered in a thick layer of the bone-like armor, and his head was covered in a helmet of it, with two nubs like horns and a mouth guard extending up from his chin. The armor covering his feet gave way for the three-toed feet, each of which then sprouted two curved spikes on top. Blades extended off of his shoulders and forearms, and the tip of his tail was covered in bladed plates. The transformation concluded, and I stared at the terrifying new warrior. "You can thank Oreg for this quick boost in power."

I gritted my teeth. "George, why?" I asked. "What about Meadow?"

His eyes narrowed. "She's why I'm doing this." He unfolded his arms and held them out to the sides, in the pose Cell had demonstrated while telling me about Frieza. "All my life, my sister has been the only one who I've been able to count on. She doesn't see me as a monster; I'm her brother, and she's grateful for that. I'll do anything to protect her." Then he pointed at me. "Then you come along. You sweep her off her feet, make her feel like she's never loved anyone more. Then, to top it all off, you go ahead and knock her up! My baby sister! Did you even think about how this is going to affect her?! Huh?!" His eyes widened with rage. "How'll she finish school? How will Mom react when she finds out? And..." He straightened his posture and pointed one finger directly at my forehead. "How will Meadow recover after she sees the love of her life being dragged back to her, dead, by her cowardly brother, who couldn't do any more than salvage his friend's body from this God-forsaken place?"

"Is that your alabi?" I grunted. "Sounds pretty half-assed to me. And how do you plan on beating Cell and 18 all on your own?"

Oreg continued. _"He won't have to. This building was only a trap for you; Cell and Android #18 will arrive too late. Imagine the look on my creation's face when he find's his son's corpse with a hole through his brain."_

I gritted my teeth, but it quickly turned into a pained grin. "Sorry, but if I'm gonna die..." I started to push myself up, shocking the two. "... it won't be by you!" I struggled, but managed to get to back to my feet. "Now, I'm not sure what the hell is keeping Cell and 18, but I'm not going to let them down." I slipped into Noire Form, then went SSO. "I'll beat you into the ground!"

Sanow smirked. "And how? You're fatally unprepared, between that hole in your chest and your lack of fighting clothes. Seriously, why did you come in that?" I looked down at myself, not seeing any problem with my jeans, red tank top, and favorite white jacket... that was now soaked with blood.

"Oh, my god..." I hissed. "Why the hell did I wear this?" I shed the jacket and got into my fighting stance. "Man... George, I'm sorry about everything, and if it's any consolation, I checked through the notes, and you becoming an uncle isn't actually very likely anymore."

"But there's a chance."

"Yeah," I admitted. "I'm going to try not to kill you, because I don't want to do that to Meadow. You're right, George: you're her best friend; you always have been. But if I let Oreg have his way, this world will become a living hell, and I can't let the people I love go through that, including Meadow." He scoffed. "You don't believe me, do you?"

"You're made to be like a Saiyan," he growled. "You monkeys are bred for battle and nothing else."

I gritted my teeth. "You're wrong!" I stepped forward and pounded my fist against my chest. "I love Meadow with all my heart, and she loves me! I have a family and friends I have to protect! I won't let your screwed-up reality ruin that!"

Oreg chuckled. _"You don't have an option. Sanow, kill him."_

"With pleasure." He lunged at me, his fist wound back. I redirected his attack and went in to strike the new weakspot, but he suddenly slipped into his Noire Form and fired two eyebeams through my right pectoral. I hacked and faultered, giving him an opening to attack again. His fist caught my jaw and threw me up into the air, then I fell crashing back to the ground. "What's wrong, Locke? I thought you were going to beat me into the ground!" He ran up and made to kick me while I was down, but I spun and swept his leg out from under him. "Whaagh!" He fell flat on his back and I vaulted myself on top of him, knees slamming into his chest.

"You can't beat me!" I roared. "Give up before I have to do any real damage!"

He smirked. "Now tell me, who's the only one here who's actually done damage?" He shot another set of eyebeams through my abdomen.

"Aaaugh!" I fell back, clutching my stomach.

Sanow pushed himself up and planted his foot on the wound in my chest. "You know, most people with your injuries would be dead by now. But we aren't most people, are we?" He raised his foot and slammed it back down. I screamed in pain, and felt my trasformation flicker.

I gritted my teeth. "I didn't want to have to do this," I grunted. "But you're asking for it, so here it is!" Sanow raised his eyebrow, then I clenched my muscles. "Aaaaaaaahhh..." I started raising my ki, to the point that my expanding muscles irritated my wounds, but I pushed through the pain. "Aaahh!" I changed into my SSO2 form, the shockwave throwing Sanow back and propelling me back to my feet. "Count yourself lucky, Sanow; this is only my second time using this form."

His smirk returned. "Then you shouldn't know how to control it," he reasoned. "I still have the upper hand."

"That's what you think!" I charged two blasts in my hands, one purple, one hazy black, then brought them together. "Reaper Cannon!" The blast fired from my hands, moving quick enough that Sanow couldn't dodge. Instead, he caught it and started to push back. I started to add more energy, but my wounds were racked with pain as I tried. I wanted to push through it, but my body refused. I eventually released the blast and hunched over, panting.

Sanow waved his hands. "Not gonna lie, Locke," he laughed. "That burned!" He then pointed one finger at me and fired, sending a purple beam straight through the center of my chest. A torrent of blood erupted from my mouth and I collapsed. My form then expired, rendering me motionless. Sanow walked up and stood over me. "Don't worry: I'll take good care of your kid," he assured me. "No one is going to steal my sister from me." He raised his hand, charging a ball of red ki. It wouldn't even hurt me if I was at full power, but in my present condition, it was probably more than enough.

 _I'm sorry, Meadow._ My eyes shut tight, bracing for the end. _But at least I know Sanow can keep you safe. I have to at least be grateful for that._

An explosion interrupted my thoughts. My eyes shot open, taking in the shattered monitor, smashed interface and circuits, and Sanow smashed into a crater in the wall. Cell stood over me, still in God form, glaring at our fellow Android. "Stay away from my son," he warned.

18 ran to me and helped me stand. "Easy, kid," she advised as I tried to move on my own. "Those injuries should have killed you. The fact that you're still conscious, let alone alive, is a miracle."

 _"More like a design flaw,"_ Oreg hissed as he formed from black smoke. _"Cell... you look different than my data predicted."_

"Oreg," Cell responded. "Cease this apocalypse now and we will let you live."

Oreg chuckled. _"I don't think I have anything to worry about. You see, this isn't my true body; that is hidden somewhere much safer. And besides, you wouldn't stand a chance against it. Especially in three, two, one."_ As though on cue, Cell's flaming aura died, his hair changed from ruby to green-tinted black, his tail turned green, and his eyes returned to their normal lavender.

"H-huh?!" Cell grunted, feeling the transformation expire and wildly looking himself over.

Oreg cackled. _"That's the end of your days as a God, Cell."_ Cell took a step back, scowling at the computer.

I tried to move to help him, but pain shot through my body, and my vision started to fade. 18 took notice. "Cell, we have to go!" she yelled. "He won't last long like this!"

Cell looked between us and Oreg, then placed two fingers to his forehead. "We'll continue this fight later, Oreg. But right now, my family takes priority." Oreg made no move to stop him, so he instantly teleported to us. "Did you bring any Senzu Beans?"

I shook my head. "Forgot. Sorry, Dad." Cell sighed, then reached out. But before he could make contact, a white blur slammed into him and hurled him across the room. Sanow came to a skidding stop a few feet away from us.

"Sorry, freak," he growled. "But he's not leaving here alive."

Cell struggled to stand, now outmatched in his Saiyanized Perfect Form. "Dammit," he grunted. "I can't fight like this. Maybe if I was a Super Saiyan, but I'm not."

Sanow laughed. "That's right!" Then he turned to me and 18. "Now then, on to you two." He pulled his arm back, then thrust it forward. My ribs broke as his entire fist pushed into my chest, but the skin held. Despite that, I felt my heart stop. The world became unfocused, to the point that I couldn't tell what I was looking at. The air vibrated and I felt myself fall, telling me that 18 had either retreated or been attacked. I hit the ground, but no pain came.

I stared at the blurry mess that was apparently the world as it started to fade. _Here we go again. But this time, I'm too worn out to jumpstart my heart, and Meadow isn't here to make surviving a priority. I wish this wasn't how it had to end._ Tears started to flow, even though I was trying to make peace with my death. _I don't want to die... not yet... And I'll be killed by my future brother in-law. Well, I guess not anymore; I don't have a future now. And with all the things I've done..._ My grief gave way to panic as something occured to me. _I-I don't want to go to Hell! I don't want it to end this way..._ Then my thoughts shifted back to Meadow, and the baby she might be carrying. _No! I know I said I wouldn't assume she was, but I can't just ignore the possibility. If I die, and if she_ is _pregnant, then that bastard will be the one raising my kid with her! I don't want him anywhere_ near _my family!_ My vision started to clear as my pulse slowly picked back up. _If I'm going to die anyway, then I don't need to hold back!_ I slowly floated back to my feet, blood spurting from my wounds. The others ceased their fight to stare at me with shock and awe.

I gritted my teeth as I forced my power to rise, despite my physical state. "Enough," I growled.

Sanow clenched his fists. "How the hell are you still alive?!" he screamed and hurled a small Death Ball at me. I smacked it aside, blowing a hole through the wall of the spire.

My eyes locked with his. "I'm not going to let myself be killed by you," I stated firmly. "If I'm going to die, I'd rather it be by my own hands." My power rose even higher, my body slowly transitioning to Noire Form and SSO2. "And I won't be dying alone." My ki rose higher than ever before, tearing my wounds even wider, but I forced myself to continue. My eyes widened with rage. "We're going to Hell _together_!" My vision was filled with sparkling purple light.


	20. Chapter 20

**Meadow**

My breathing was becoming ragged. For some reason, no one could sense Locke or George, so we had no idea what was going on. But that wasn't why I was freaking out. Part of it was due to the stomach ache that had chosen a bad time to hit, causing everyone enough concern on its own, but then there was the cold fear that something horrible was about to happen. And with the situation, I knew that if something bad were to happen, it would be to our four Androids.

Vegeta suddenly perked up. "Everyone, outside!" he demanded. "Goten, carry the girl if she can't walk." Despite my reluctance, Goten lifted me up bridal-style and we all rushed outside. Off in the distance, we could see a huge pillar of purple light rising into the air.

"That's definitely Locke's ki," Trunks breathed. "But there's so much..."

I folded my hands over my chest, my heart racing even faster. "Locke, please don't die..."

 **Cell**

A pillar of purple light enveloped Locke, shooting up and tearing through the top of the building. I could just barely see his form inside the light, his roar of anger echoing through the building. Then he started to change. His hair started to grow downwards, growing in volume and reaching down to his knees. Red electricity entered the energy, and the placed his eyes would be lit up red. With one final scream, the light burst, blinding me and pushing me back.

When I uncovered my eyes, the building had been completely demolished. 18 and Sanow both looked scraped, but ultimately uninjured. Then I followed their eyes to Locke. His breathing was heavy, blood continuing to squirt from the holes in his body. His eyebrows were absent from his face, and his purple hair grew backwards, down to his knees.

I was looking at a Super Saiyan Orchid 3.

He panted heavily, then his eyes turned black, but more happened. Black flames billowed from his eyes; it was like the form had evolved from the massive increase in power. Locke readied his battle stance and glared at Sanow. "Let's hurry this up, while I can still keep my heart beating." Sanow's eyes widened with fury and he flew forward, screaming as he threw a punch. Locke caught it, but was pushed back. "Hah... hah... Too bad you messed me up so bad," he panted. "If I wasn't so injured, I'd probably have no problem." He wound his fist back and socked Sanow in the jaw, sending him stumbling back. "Let's get straight to the main event." Sanow screamed again and unleashed a flurry of punches. Each one was blocked, but Locke found himself being pushed back at a steady pace.

 **Locke**

I struggled to keep up with Sanow as his attacks kept coming. Smoke rose from his fists and my hands, our skin burning from the lightning-fast collisions. He pulled back and made to slash with his tail, and I was going to counter, but the action widened my wounds even more, temporarily paralyzing me. That was enough time for him. His tail sliced across my chest, carving right into the cavity behind my ribs. Blood filled my mouth, and I felt my death approaching, but I took advantage of it and spit the blood into his face.

"Aauugh!" he yelled as he was blinded. I wasted no time and rushed behind him, smashing his tail into the ground with my foot and wrapping my arms tightly around him in a death-grip. He struggled, but couldn't break free. After a second, though, he calmed and laughed. "So, what's the plan here? You'll die in less than a minute, by my estimate."

I gritted my teeth. "Yeah, I will. But you aren't getting off easy, either." I started building up energy.

Sanow's eyes widened as he realized my intentions. "Y-you wouldn't!"

Cell seemed to catch on as well. "Locke, no!" he shouted. "Just go get a Senzu Bean and live to fight another day!"

"I don't have time," I informed him, then sighed in embarrassment. "I... don't remember where I put them, and I'll be dead before we find them! I may as well take this c*nt with me!"

Cell stared, his face showing an emotion I'd never seen from him: despair. "Locke..."

I gritted my teeth, but forced a smile. "See you, Dad."

"Stop, stop, stop!" Sanow screeched, but I gave one final roar and released all of the energy I'd built up. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHH!"

 **Cell**

"Locke!" I cried out as the overwhelming light consumed us all.

 **Meadow**

Another light appeared from the same place as the first, but this was a white dome. "Something exploded!" Trunks gasped.

Vegeta gritted his teeth. "That's just like... when I was under Babidi's control. When I..." He shook his head. "I take back everything I've said. That boy has my respect." I looked at him with confusion, finding nothing positive in his tone.

Goten's breath caught, then he slowly set me down and put his hand on my shoulder. "Meadow..." he said quietly. "Locke and George... their energies just vanished."

 **Cell**

I slowly uncovered my eyes. My entire body was covered in burns and raw patches, but that went unnoticed compared to the rest of the landscape. There was no longer any sign of the monument, nor the barren city it had been erected in. Only charred earth remained. And in the center, lay two bloody bodies, smoke rising off of both. I slowly approached the boys, then dropped to my knees.

I picked up Locke's limp form, his eyes still half open, but glazed. Where there hadn't been wounds before, there were now cuts bleeding out his essential body fluids. Desperate, I placed my ear against his chest, but only found cold silence. I slowly lowered him back into my lap and stared. A feeling I'd never before felt tore my heart in two as I gazed upon my son's lifeless face. A single tear rolled down my cheek as I closed his eyes the rest of the way, then more followed.

"Dammit," I cursed. The forming clouds and pouring rain completely evaded my detection. "I finally found something I cared about more than myself... my future wife and son... Now..." My teeth ground together, and I felt my hair lift off of my forehead. "No... Locke, if I'd been here sooner..."

I heard 18 behind me. "Cell... you really have changed."

Her words went unnoticed as I started to sob for the first time in my life. I reared my head up, roaring into the sky. Lightning struck around me. Power surged withn my body, building up until it exploded. "Damn it!"

 **Meadow**

I shook with fright as the booming thunder roared outside. All of the superhumans seemed unnerved by the sudden change in weather, but all I cared about was why my boyfriend and brother had suddenly dropped off of everyone's senses after that huge explosion.

Ms. Brangwen lightly held me, trying to help me calm. "I'm sure they're fine," she assured me, but I could hear the worry in her own voice.

Gohan suddenly perked up and looked out the window. "They're back! And-" He stopped short, his face taking on a look of horror.

We all hurried back outside into the rain, finding a shocking sight. Cell and 18 slowly walked down the path, Cell's hair spiked up into golden locks and his body giving off a golden glow. Then I saw their cargo. 18 was dragging George by his tail, trailing purple blood behind him. And in Cell's arms, wrapped in his favorite white jacket, was Locke. The jacket covered most of his torso, but it's color did nothing to hide the blood soaking through and dripping onto the ground. Neither of the elder Androids would meet anyone's eyes as they came to a stop in front of us.

Ms. Brangwen slowly approached her fiance and son. "Cell...?" Her voice was questioning, trying to ask the question without actually vocalizing it.

Cell's voice came out choked. "I'm sorry, Rachel." Those three words shattered my heart instantly.

"What happened?" I demanded, coming closer. "Why are my brother and boyfriend... unconscious?" I hoped with all my heart that I was right.

Cell couldn't speak, so 18 answered for him. "Sorry to say, Sanow, or George, whatever you call him, got pulled over to the bad guys. For some reason, he was hellbent on killing your boyfriend. I don't know how, but by the time we got there, Locke had already been blasted through his chest several times. He couldn't move at all." I choked as I tried to swallow. "Then Cell's God form ran out, and Sanow made what we all thought was the finishing blow. Somehow, though, he managed to get back up."

Cell finally managed to speak up. "Despite his injuries, he forced his body to transform to the third level of Super Saiyan Orchid, along with an evolved variant of his Noire Form. The two were evenly matched, but Locke was short on time. He used his last resort, and..." He gulped down a sob. "He self-destructed."

My eyes were wide with horror, then I looked down at Locke's "unconscious" body. "He's..." The tears started to flow before anyone even said it.

Cell set him down on the ground and we both knelt down. "Dead," he answered quietly.

I screamed and threw myself on his lifeless chest, hoping to find a beat. When I didn't find one, I hugged him tightly against myself, sobbing uncontrollable. "L-Locke... Don't go..."

 **Goten**

I stared with wide eyes as the scene unfolded before me. Locke was dead. He'd sacrificed himself to take down a pro-apocalypse villain. Cell was crying over his death. "I was wrong..." I breathed. "I was dead wrong..." I bit back a sob of my own. "I'm sorry, Locke. I've been a horrible friend."

 **Locke**

"Ugh..." My eyes slowly opened, and I found myself laying on a couch in a very pink room. "Huh...?" Then the memories came flooding back to me. "Wh-what the-?!" There was no way this was Hell!

"You!" But I've been wrong before. My head snapped around just in time to smack Sanow out of the air as he lunged at me. "You filthy bastard!" he shrieked. "You killed us both! I'll-"

A large red hand snatched him up as he lunged again. "None of that," a heavy voice scolded. I looked up and took a step back at the sight of the giant red man sitting behind an equally giant desk. A name plate on the desk read _King Yemma_. He set Sanow down on his desk and placed a paperweight on his tail to keep him in place. "Let's see here... here you are; George Fae, AKA Sanow: fifteen years old, died trying to kill your sister's boyfriend for potentially impregnating her."

"Damn right!" Sanow shouted. "Now let me kick his ass!"

Yemma shook his head. "Sorry, but as you have the blood of not an innocent, but a righteous soul, on your hands, and you assisted the Red Ribbon Army out of selfishness, I'm afraid that you're going straight to Hell."

Sanow's eyes widened. "W-wait, you must be joking! You can't send me to Hell!" He pleaded with the giant Oni, only to be picked up again and handed to several muscly Onis in workout gear. "Please, I'll do anything!" he begged as he was dragged away. "I don't want to go down there!"

"Don't worry, pal," one of the Onis assured him. "It's not that bad as long as you behave."

"No!" The doors slammed shut behind them, then Yemma looked to me.

"Would you mind hopping up here?" he asked. I obeyed and jumped onto the desk. He flipped through his book. "There. Locke Brangwen: sixteen years old, self-destructed in order to kill George Fae." He scratched his head. "You have two kills listed: George, and one Mr. James Hawthun, both of whom I sent down to Hell. While we do offer a bit of leniency with the non-selfish murders of the already damned, you also revived a dangerous denizen of Hell; the Android, Cell. I am aware of his change of heart, but the fact remains that he caused mass hysteria and death. I'm sorry, Locke, but my hands are tied." I nodded, though still feeling let down.

The door opened and more of the Onis entered. I hopped down and approached. "I won't run," I assured them. "Just lead the way."

One of them noticed my depressed look and crossed his arms. "Kid, what we told the last guy was true: behave, and Hell doesn't have to be... well, Hell."

"I'll keep it in mind." They led me through the door, and down the trail into Hell.


	21. Chapter 21

**Shorter and less eventful, but I'm still sticking to the one upload a week for now. If anyone feels like this isn't enough, just let me know and I might upload the next one early.**

 **Meadow**

The next hour or so was a blur. All I can remember was people vaguely talking around me while I sobbed into Locke's still chest. Everything had happened so fast, I could only focus on one thing: the death of my lover and possibly the father of my first child. My face was smeared with his blood, but I ignored it.

A little while later, I felt myself being lifted up away from the body, then after a while longer, I heard a familiar voice gasp.

"Meadow, George!" It was my mother. The world finally started to become clear again, and I realized I was being almost cradled in Cell's right arm, while the left held Sanow's corpse. "What happened?!"

Cell lightly set Sanow on the floor, then me on the couch. "You don't need to worry about Meadow; that blood isn't her's," he informed her. "She's spent the last hour crying into a dead man's chest."

"And George?!"

Cell kept his eyes on me to avoid eye-contact my mother, probably to avoid any guilt, and to hide the burning anger in his violet eyes. "Dead." I heard Mom gasp again, then I turned my head and saw her kneeling beside the dead traitor. "And I should let you know he died in my son's suicide bomb to defeat our enemy."

Mom looked back at Cell, anger flaring in her eyes. "And who would do something that careless while my son was so close?!"

"Locke Brangwen." Mom gasped again. "And I should also tell you that that bastard you call your son wasn't collateral damage; he was the target."

"What?!" She was visibly ready to kill someone.

"Your son- Sanow, as he decided he preferred- sided with the computer orchestrating this apocalypse, all for a grudge against my son. His reasons were selfish, and he went too far, willing to end the world just to kill Locke." Cell finally turned to her. "He _deserved_ to die."

Mom ignored his last words and moved over to me, lightly stroking my hair. As they were speaking, I'd started sobbing again. "Shh... it's going to be okay. We need to be strong." I was surprised by her quick change in tone, but took comfort in her soothing. "It'll be hard; you two have been best friends your whole lives."

"What?" I jerked up and pulled away as I realized what she meant. "Do you think I'm crying about _Sanow_?!"

Mom looked shocked, then that turned to anger. "I'd hope so. You'd better not be crying over the Android that killed your brother!"

I was completely outraged. "What?! Sanow was one hit away from killing Locke! He was going to f*ck us just because he thought Locke had stolen me from him! As far as I'm concerned, that f*cker is not my brother!"

"How dare you say that!" Mom yelled.

I clenched my fists and continued. "Out of all of my boyfriends- and trust me, there have been a few- he was the only one who really liked me for me! He was the only one that I could imagine a life with! The only one I thought I couldn't live without! The only one I loved! The only one I-" I stopped myself, nearly admitting to losing my virginity to him. Mom wouldn't be happy about that, and she didn't need another reason to hate him. "Sanow's burning in Hell, where he belongs!"

Cell coughed. "I know it doesn't matter, but as long as he behaves, Hell isn't actually that bad. As the only one here who's visited, take my word for it." Then he approached and moved his arm between us. "And if you're going to be so negative about an enemy's death, then I don't think I'm comfortable with this girl staying with you."

"She's my daughter!"

Cell raised an eyebrow. "But doesn't her father share custody, as well her currently being under his care? If I received his permission, then I'd be well within the law."

She glared at him, then looked back at me. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but if you go with him-" _Smack!_ Her head was suddenly turned to the side, my hand print forming on her cheek.

"Be quiet," I demanded. "I don't give a shit what you're going to say. I'm going to stay with the people who actually know what's going on."

"And I don't?!" she screamed. "What happened to 'mother knows best'?!"

"If you knew best, you would have tried to work things out with Dad instead of just packing up George and leaving!" I stood and put my arms around Cell. "From now on, this isn't my home."

"Call your father before we go," he instructed. "If she beats you to it, it could mean trouble." She perked up and reached for her phone, but Cell's eyes flashed and it exploded.

I took out my phone and started to dial. The silence gave room for me to think clearly again, and the tears returned.

 _"Meadow?!"_ Dad's voice asked hopefully.

"Daddy..." A choked sob interrupted me.

 _"Honey, what's wrong? Are you okay?"_

"No," I responded. "Locke..." I couldn't say anymore.

 _"What did he do? If he hurt you, I swear to-"_ The phone was snatched from my hand by Cell.

 **Cell**

"I assume this is Mr. Fae," I said into the receiver.

 _"And who's this?"_ The man demanded.

"Locke's father," I answered. "I assure you, my son did nothing to your daughter that she didn't allow. That isn't why she is crying."

 _"Then what has her so upset?"_ His anger was gone, but the worry still remained.

I steeled myself, worrying that I may also break down like the girl beside me. "He's..." I gulped and continued quietly. "He's dead." I heard his sharp intake of breath. "He died killing an enemy fighting for this apocalypse." I steeled myself again. "Your son, George."

 _"G-George?!"_

"I will give you the details another time, but now your ex-wife is filled with contempt for my son, seeing George's death as an unjust murder." I flashed the woman a glare. "Locke cared for this girl more than anyone, so I cannot in good conscience leave her with someone with such a polar opinion on the situation. I need your permission to take her to stay with my family until this is all over, as I fear that Georgia may go to the police if I don't gain your approval."

He was quiet, then responded. _"Hand the phone to Georgia."_ I willingly did so.

The conversation quickly spiraled into a heated argument, until Georgia practically threw the phone back to me. _"Take her with you,"_ he growled angrily. _"And I'm applying for full custody once you smash that damn computer. I don't want that bitch anywhere near my daughter."_

"Thank you, sir." I hung up and put my hand on Meadow's shoulder. "I apologize for intruding." I put two fingers to my forehead and took us back to my family.

Meadow fainted as soon as we arrived, so I took her to Locke's room and put her to bed before returning to the others.

"So," Gohan addressed me. "You're sure the Dragon Balls have reactivated?"


	22. Chapter 22

**Locke**

Honestly, spending the night in Hell wasn't that bad. I met a cool Saiyan couple named Bardock and Gine, who I soon found out were Goten's grandparents, and they showed me around. I couldn't fathom how Gine ended up in Hell at first, but she explained that she convinced Yemma to let her stay with her husband. The story made me think of Meadow, how she might do the same when she died, and how much I despised the idea. Then I met someone who probably ended up wishing he hadn't met me: the bastard himself, Dr. Gero. After kicking his ass for the things he'd done, I demanded that he tell me anything else about me I didn't already know, as he had programmed Oreg with my schematics. I ended up learning something that really peaked my interest.

"That's everything!" he insisted. "A-and the evolved Noire Form is some kind of mutation! I never planned for it!"

I sighed and straightened up. "Well, I guess this new 'Darkness Form' did help against Sanow, so I can't be mad. But expect another angry Android when Cell comes back down here. Ahem... _if_ he comes back down here." I turned back to the two Saiyans. "So, on with the tour?"

Bardock laughed. "Kicking ass one second, perfectly calm the next. I can see why you and my grandson got along so well." He motioned for me to follow him.

After that, we set up camp for the night, and I somehow awoke feeling well-rested. The two led me deeper into the pits of Hell, which I was finding not to be so bad.

 **Cell**

I dug through the large snow drift, trying to find the treasure hidden inside. My hand finally wrapped around it, and I lifted it up triumphantly: the Two-Star Dragon Ball. "Don't worry, Locke. I'll have you back in no time!"

Via Instant Transmission, I returned to Bulma's lab and placed the Ball on the table with the four others I'd collected.

"Well, well," a voice said behind me. I turned and found Bulma approaching, eyeing the set with interest. "You've been busy, Cell. You must really care about this kid."

"Wouldn't you do the same for your children?" I asked.

She smiled. "You know, when it comes to family, you're a bit like the rest of us. You'll both do anything to protect them." Then she laughed. "Of course, you don't try to hide it, unlike my husband."

I pulled the Dragon Radar out of my pocket and pressed the button. "I'd love to stay and talk more, but I only have two more to go."

Bulma nodded. "Well, get on with it. You aren't the only one waiting for him." I quickly returned home to check in.

Rachel hugged me tightly when I gave her the news. "Then hurry up," she commanded. "In case you forgot, Meadow doesn't know about this. The sooner he's back, the more depression we save her from."

I smiled. "She'll be the happiest girl in the world." I bent down slightly to place a light kiss on her lips, then started to leave.

She stopped me. "Hey, Cell?" She seemed nervous about her question. "Um, now that you don't look like, well, _you_ anymore, do you think we could...?" She trailed off, but I noticed her fingering her ring.

My smile turned softer. "Once Locke is alive again. He shouldn't miss his parents' wedding." She smiled and nodded, then I left to find the last two Balls.

 **Meadow**

I stared at the objects I had set out on the bed in front of me: an unopened pregnancy test that I couldn't accurately use until the next day, a picture of me, Locke, and Trunks at the beach, and a knife. My reason for the knife was clear, but what I couldn't figure out was whether or not I'd use it. I wanted to reunite with Locke as soon as I could, but if I was pregnant, then our baby would die with me. I couldn't let that happen.

"If I test negative," I decided, "I'll do it. If I'm positive... I won't." I still wasn't sure about the first one, but I'd realized that suicide was the only way to ensure someone like me would end up in Hell, where I'd been told Locke was sent.

As for the picture, I just wanted something to remind me of happier times, fight off the grief at least until the next day. By then, I'd have one of two new things for that purpose. Feeling my stomach quake, I went to get something to eat. I'd been eating a lot since that night and hadn't gained an ounce of extra fat, so I hoped that that was a good sign.

Locke's mother was sitting on the couch, watching a recording of the Cell Games. It struck me as odd and more than a little insensitive that she was so calm about her son's death, but I reasoned that our new information that the Otherworld was still a physical place in our universe made it seem less like he was dead, and more like he was away on vacation. No matter how much I tried, however, I couldn't see it that way. The love of my life was dead, and that was all there was too it.

I made a cup of instant ramen and started back towards Locke's room, but something in the recording caught my eye. Namely Cell's Kamehameha struggle with Gohan, which hadn't been in the recording I'd seen. Ms. Brangwen noticed my interest and explained. "It's a video Cell took with his father's spy drones. They managed to keep from being damaged, so they got the entire fight."

I sat down with her and watched the fight. "Ms. Brangwen," I started hesitantly. "You know about all of the things Cell did, right?" She nodded. "Then why did you accept when he asked you to marry him? Any normal person would have turned him down, even if they were on good terms with him."

She sighed and paused the recording. "Cell isn't like that anymore. Meadow, I spent months under the same roof as Cell. I got to know what he was like off the battle field. He was always willing to help, really liked learning about modern entertainment, and happily accepted the mantle of being Locke's father." She smiled. "That's the man I fell in love with." Then her smile turned more comedic. "And that's the man I want to father the rest of my children, now that he can." My face turned bright red.

"Not under my roof, you're not," her dad scolded as he walked in, still in his pajamas. "And especially not until you two are married. When are you two going to get on with that, anyway?"

She smiled. "In a few days," she replied. "Bulma and Vegeta are helping us with a special surprise for everyone first, though. We can't get married before it." My interest was peaked again, but she started the recording again.

 **Cell**

"H-hand it over!" I growled. The kangaroo I was glaring at bared her teeth, then handed the Seven-Star Ball to her joey, who retreated into the pouch. "I don't have time for this!" I grabbed the animal's shoulder and shoved my hand into the pouch, rummaging around for the ball. She cried out in alarm and tried to pull away, but I was far stronger. I finally grabbed it and pulled it out, with the joey hanging on tight. I gently took hold of the baby and pried it off, then handed it back to its mother. "Thank you," I sighed. "Now, just the Four-Star."

The radar led me to a wasteland, with an interestingly familiar crater blown into it. I ignored the feeling of deja vu and went searching. Then one of the rock structures caught my eye. Only it wasn't a rock; it was a pillar of smooth marbel, overgrown with weeds.

"My arena," I realized. "This was the site of my Cell Games!" I looked around, then ran to one spot. The hard-packed dirt was darkened in the shape of a humanoid. "This is where I perished..." On a whim, I checked the radar, then dug into the dirt beside my shadow. I pulled out the final Dragon Ball. "That's a strange coincidence," I remarked. "Or was it here for a reason...?"

My thoughts were interrupted by my phone going off. I quickly answered. _"Cell?"_ I heard Vegeta's voice. _"Do you have the last two Balls?"_

"Right here," I replied, placing the Four-Star in the messenger bag I'd brought along.

 _"Then bring them to Capsule Corp. immediately! Something's happened!"_

 **Meadow**

After watching in awe as Cell met his end, I slowly started to return to Locke's room, then changed my mind and went further down the hall and opened another door.

Sitting in the center of the emptied-out storage room was a large white coffin, the lid propped open. I slowly approached and looked inside. Locke lay motionless among the soft white cushions, almost as though asleep. His family had chosen to dress him in a white tuxedo with his hands folded over his lower chest. The only sign that this body was no longer inhabitted was his still chest.

I reached in and stroked his cold face, a tear rolling down my cheek. "You always did love white, didn't you?" I fondly commented. "It's every color at once. Heh... I wouldn't be surprised if you end up finding some kind of Super Saiyan White while you're over there..." The trickle of tears started to become a stream. "Locke... I might get to see you again really soon. But if I don't, then... I'm sorry. That you won't meet our baby for so long." Then I realized something. "They'll be like Goten." A thought popped into my head, but I quickly dismissed it. "No. I might move on, but not Goten. I know he feels guilty now, but I just can't get _that_ close to someone who tried to kill you so many times." I waited, almost hoping I'd get a responce. When none came, I had to choke back a sob. "I miss you, so much." I leaned in and kissed his cold lips. "If you see Sanow down there, please make him regret what he did to you even more than I know he already does. Make him regret betraying his family like this."

"Meadow?" Ms. Brangwen called. "I have some good and bad news." I gave the body one last soft kiss, then left, not noticing the faint glow reflecting off the white surfaces.

 **Okay, I'm aware that this got a little too real, with the whole suicide bit, but I really like when things get dark before the light.**

 **So, we're starting to wind-down here. I'll go ahead and tell you that I've got exactly ten chapters to go now, meaning ten weeks before I go MIA from this site for a while. I hope someone likes this story enough to be disappointed by that. See you next week.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Cell**

The Android's head shattered under my foot, but more kept coming. "Dammit," I huffed, already exhausted. "We're in trouble."

"Speak for yourself," Vegeta retorted, blasting through the enemy's lines.

...Okay, I'll back up.

I returned to Capsule Corp to deliver the Dragon Balls, when Vegeta showed me a live feed of Satan City. It was overrun with Androids, but not the shadowy ones. These looked fully robotic, but the military couldn't manage to damage them at all. Needless to say, we hurried there, soon followed by the rest of the Z-Fighters, minus the still-comatose Goku.

And now we're back to the present. I quickly countered a blast aimed for Tien's head and destroyed the attacker. The power I was putting out was incredible, far more than my Perfect Form. It was my first time fighting as a Super Saiyan, but I could already see the appeal.

Vegeta grunted as the Androids didn't let up. "Where are they coming from?"

Tien looked back at us. "There must be a factory nearby. Chances are, Oreg is there, too."

I felt my rage increase. "Then we need to find it." Right as I said this, the bright morning sky darkened, easing my temper.

"Bulma must have summoned Shenron," Roshi observed. "Let's hope that kid of your's can turn the tides, Cell!"

 **Bulma**

Shenron rose before me, glowering down. _"I am the Eternal Dragon. Speak your wish and I may grant it."_

I got right to the point. "Shenron, a boy died yesterday; Locke Brangwen. I need you to bring him back to life!"

Shenron was quiet for a second, then his eyes gleamed. _"It has been done."_

 **Meadow**

We were watching the news feed with worry, when an explosion boomed somewhere close behind us. Ms. Brangwen seemed to know the cause and ran straight for the room holding Locke until the funeral. She threw open the door. Inside, rubble littered the coffin and floor from a giant hole blasted throught the wall. Locke's body was nowhere to be found, but the coat and tie to his suit was thrown on the floor.

Her joy confused me. "Oh, my god," she breathed. "He did it!"

"Who did what?" I asked.

She grinned and grabbed me in a tight hug. "Cell used the Dragon Balls and brought back our boy! Locke's alive!"

I felt my body go numb, then tears of joy started to drip down my face as my broken heart mended.

 **Locke**

I was confused as hell when I suddenly found myself laying in a coffin, wearing a white tuxedo. But when I heard the TV, along with two very familiar voices, I finally registered what was happening: I was alive! I had a second chance, and I wasn't going to waste it.

Sensing Cell and the others fighting, I threw off the suit coat and tie, turned SSO, and barreled through the wall, taking to the sky immediately and rushing to help.

"Oreg!" I shouted as I flew. "You're dead!"

 **Cell**

I panted heavily, struggling to keep up with the Androids. My Super Saiyan form was finally starting to show its downsides, and I was quickly running low on energy. The human Z-Fighters all seemed equally exhausted, but the Saiyans and Piccolo still fought hard, destroying each one with a single hit. But they could hit so many at one time, and with the rest of us slowing by so much, the enemies were quickly building up.

I looked around, noticing that I'd been separated from everyone but Piccolo. Seeing as I'd yet to, I tried to strike up a conversation. "So, um..." It was more awkward than I'd expected. "I'm sorry for nearly killing you all those years ago."

He grunted. "I'll forgive you if we all survive this." Then his face softened and he continued. "You know, I can't help but compare you and Locke to me and Gohan. We took them in and filled the hole their father had left, even though Gohan didn't have that hole for as long as Locke."

I nodded. "Remember, I do have your cells in my body. Perhaps it came from there."

"That's a thought." Suddenly an Android got an attack in, knocking me to the ground. "Cell!"

I tried to get up, but the Androids grouped up and started kicking me while I was down. Piccolo was too preoccupied to help, and I didn't have enough energy for all of them. I felt my transformation begin to falter.

Suddenly, a wind swept past us, and something smashed all of the Androids around us to pieces. I started to get up, when someone offered a hand. "You were getting your ass handed to you," a familiar voice commented. My eyes widened, and I stared up into my son's smiling face. "But you do look good as a Super Saiyan, Dad."

"Locke..." He was dressed in the same suit his grandparents had insisted on putting him it, minus the coat and tie, but he was very much alive. I took note of the growing crowd and accepted his hand. "We have this," I informed him. "You need to find the factory and shut it down." He nodded and was about to take off, but I grabbed his wrist. "Locke?" He stopped. "I'm glad to have you back."

He smiled. "It's good to be back." I released him and he took off on his search.

 **Locke**

I scoured the city, looking for where the Androids were coming from. Then I spotted it: a huge black dome built into a destroyed area of the city. I hurried over to it.

Once inside, I didn't bother with the maze of hallways and just barreled through the walls. I came to the manufacturing room and, without a second though, unleashed a volley of energy blasts, destroying every machine in the room. The roof caved in, burying me, but I quickly blasted my way out.

I scratched my head as I looked down on the destroyed factory. "That was way too easy," I observed.

"Right, you are." Before I could even see the speaker, I felt something metal slam into my gut, hard enough that blood sailed out of my mouth and splattered on the black metal now in front of me.

"Wh-who...?" I coughed. The attacker backed away, and I got a good look. It was a really beefy Android that looked like a suit of plus-sized medieval armor, with a red light shining through the visor. I floated back and gritted my teeth. "I know that voice! Oreg!"

The robot stayed still. "Yes," he responded.

I smirked. "Your voice is clearer this time. Does that mean I'm talking to the real you?"

If he had a mouth, I'd assume that he smirk as well my his tone of voice. "Not quite. But if you do manage to destroy this body, it will be the end of me."

"Are you sure you should be telling me that?"

"It won't matter. You're on your way back to Hell."

I struck my battle position and shook my head. "Not if I have anything to say about it." I gritted my teeth and roared, transforming into SSO3. "This is it for you, Oreg!" I rushed forward and threw a punch at his face. It connected, and I grinned at the feeling of metal bending under my fist. I pulled away to survey my work, only for the dent to repair itself.

He chuckled. "Oh, and this body will recover from any damage. You have to destroy me completely."

I clenched my teeth again. "Good to know." I backed away, then held my arms out, preparing my Reaper Cannon. "Hyaaah!" My eyes lit with black fire as I entered my new Darkness Form, and I fired the blast. The Android was completely enveloped, then the energy exploded.

Smoke and dust floated through the air, and I floated, breathing heavily. Combining SSO3 with Darkness Form was really taxing on the body. Then the dust and smoke stared to settle, and my breath caught. Oreg floated in the air, one hand outstretched. A red node in his palm glistened in the morning light. "I may have forgotten to mention my ability to absorb the energy of others. You'll need to either restrain me or catch me by surprise."

 _Damn,_ I thought. _I can't restrain him one-on-one, and charging an attack strong enough to kill him would take too long for a surprise._ "How about a handicap?"

Oreg sighed. "This is getting bothersome," he commented. "It's time I send you back to the Otherworld." In a flash, he was in front of me and grabbed my throat. His node started to make a _wirrrr_ sound and I felt the energy leaving my body.

"Shit!" I choked, losing both of my transformations. I grabbed his arm in vain, my lungs screaming for oxygen while my ki was drained.

Oreg laughed. "I'm sorry to put you down just after you revived, but it was bound to happen anyway. With your energy, I might be able to compete with Goku and Vegeta. If not, I can always move on to your friends and father." My vision started to fade. "Die, you failure."

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew past us, and Oreg's arm went flying. A fist connected with his head and knocked him away. "Sorry I'm late," a familiar voice said.

I stared at the newcomer, knowing the voice but not the appearance. He wore Goku's gi, and he looked like a Super Saiyan, but his hair was icy blue, and his similarly-colored aura waved like flames. "G-Goku?"

He grinned. "Sorry about the long nap. But I think it's about time we ended the Red Ribbon Army."

"Y-yes, sir!" We both turned back to Oreg.

"Locke, stay out of this," Goku advised. "You don't have enough energy."

"Alright."

Oreg looked at Goku, then sighed. "A Super Saiyan Blue, correct?" he asked

"I'm surprised you know about it."

Oreg shrugged. "If it ever occurred or was mentioned on Earth, I know about it. Well, anything of use." He crossed his arms. "But I don't think I can combat a Super Saiyan Blue just yet. No, I'll have to retreat."

"Wait!" I stopped him. "You really think we'll just let you go?"

"You don't have an option." To my surprise, he put two fingers to his head; Instant Transmission. And as an synthetic Android, we couldn't track him.

I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Let's make a deal!"

"Huh?" Oreg and Goku asked together.

I knew it was a bad idea, but I continued. "I want to end this today. And I want to beat you one-on-one. So how about a match?"

Oreg was quiet, then responded. "I'm listening."

"If I can cause enough damage, I can kill you without any resistance. If you win, you can have my energy."

"L-Locke-!" Goku gasped.

Oreg laughed. "That sounds very biased, boy. I accept." He put his fingers to his forehead again. "We'll meet here at sunset. I'll have a special arena prepared for our battle. And once I kill you, I'll go after Goku next." He vanished, leaving us alone.

It took a second, then the shock of what just happened hit me like a Kamehameha. "What the f*ck did I just do?!"

 **So, as I was editting this, I got a review where someone expressed their hope that Locke would have a fight in Hell, and well... that's clearly not happening now. But while there won't be a fight in Hell, I'm three chapters away from a hell of a fight. The most detailed, arguably-epic fight I've ever written. I hope you can all hold out until then, because the next two are something like filler. I'd be willing to double-upload next week, but at the same time, I want to drag this out for as long as I can. If someone speaks up, I could go either way. I'll see what I decide next week. See you then.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Sorry for being late on the upload, but I was busy last night and forgot. It's here now, though, so I hope you enjoy.**

 **Meadow**

Tears brimmed in my eyes as everyone returned, Locke with them. The moment his feet touched the ground, I took off running, and would have tackled him if I was strong enough. He gratefully returned the hug.

"I'm back," he said softly, stating the obvious. I was too choked up to respond, burying my tear-soaked face in his shirt.

His mom spoke up from behind me. "So you beat Oreg?" she asked.

"Uhhh..." It was only then that I noticed that Goku was with them, but it was a little late to point it out now.

"What happened?" Ms. Brangwen asked.

Locke took one of his arms off me to scratch his head. "Ah... I might be heading back to Hell pretty soon." My sobbing came to a shuttering stop. "I challenged him to a one-on-one match tonight. He wins, he takes my energy and kills me."

Faster than even _I_ thought I could move, my hand whipped up and smacked his head back. "You idiot!" I shouted. "Do you realize you can't come back twice?!"

He nodded. "I was short on time. He somehow knows Instant Transmission, but since he doesn't have ki, we wouldn't have been able to track him. This way, even if I lose, everyone can jump in and finish him off. No matter what, this apocalypse ends tonight."

Cell put his hand on Locke's shoulder. "And don't worry. If things go south, I will step in, despite this agreement."

I huffed angrilly, but the rage quickly faded and I hugged Locke again. "Just don't die again," I quietly begged. "I can't go through that twice."

"You shouldn't have had to even once," Locke sighed. "I'm so sorry." He put his hand under my cheek and made me look at him. "I'm not going to die today." He came down and placed his lips against mine. Overcome with joy, I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him against me even tighter. I reluctantly released him and we smiled, then his eyes saw something behind me. "Ah!" I looked back and saw both of my parents, my dad having requested that Cell bring him before the fight, looking dissaproving of our passionate moment.

My smile turned into a short fit of laughter. "Shut up," I happily told them. "Isn't it okay for me to show affection to my future husband?"

"Huh?!" Everyone looked utterly shocked.

Locke looked the same. "I-I thought you wanted to keep that a secret," he said.

I turned and went up to kiss him again. "I'm too happy to care right now."

Goten gulped loud enough to be audible. "Wait, is that wishful thinking, o-or...?"

I hugged Locke tightly. "He didn't really have a ring, so I guess it isn't official yet. But he asked." For some reason, Cell looked like something had clicked in his head.

Locke smiled. "Well, since we can't really do anything about Oreg until tonight, and it's relevant..." He reached into his pocket. "Would you mind if I fixed that?" My eyes widened as he pulled out a silver ring with, ironically, an orchid diamond set into it. "I asked Cell to make it on our way back here. Now..." He dropped to one knee and took my hand, wrapping it around the ring. "Officially this time: will you marry me?" he asked for the second time. Joy flooded my heart. One word, and it would be official. I opened my mouth to answer again.

"Absolutely not!" We all turned to my mother, shocked by her outburst. "Meadow, this is the... the... _thing_ that killed your brother!"

"What happened while I was out?!" Goku yelled in exasperation.

I glared at my mother. "We've already been over this, Mom! Sanow helped Oreg just because he was mad at Locke. He almost ended the world because he didn't want anyone dating his sister. He got what he deserved."

"Actually," Locke awkwardly interjected, "I kinda felt like I went overboard with that. You know, the whole two new transformations at once and such... not easy to control."

Mom crossed her arms. "It doesn't matter. You have to be twenty to marry without permission from your guardians, and I happen to be one. I won't let that Androi-"

Dad cut her off. "Would you shut your damn mouth?!" he roared. "George was clearly insane, Georgia! If he went to Hell like they told us, then he got what he deserved!"

"Why you-!"

Dad cut her off again. "And as for permission, they have my full consent when Locke turns eighteen. And you don't get a say; I'm applying for full custody as soon as I can." Mom's eyes widened at that last piece of news.

"Huh...?" That was me. It slowly sank in that we'd only have to wait a little less than half of the time we would have before. The happiness from before returned.

Locke smiled up at me, clearly just as cheerful as me. "So, you have a proposal to respond to," he pointed out.

I smiled and kneeled down with him, cupping his face in my hands. "Nothing would make me happier." I kissed him, and a small cheer rose through the crowd around us, slowly growing as everyone caught up with the fast-paced events that had just transpired.

 **Goten**

Despite my best efforts to forgive him, I suddenly hated Locke now more than ever. But Meadow looked so happy, I couldn't ruin it. I left to keep my spoiled mood hidden.

I walked around the corner of the house and lightly tapped my head against the wall. "Goten?" I looked back and saw that Trunks and Pan had followed me.

"Uncle Goten, what's wrong?"

I scowled and turned away. "Nothing."

"Goten," Trunks sighed. "Don't lie. Admit it: you're upset that your crush for almost two years just got engaged to your friend." I started to protest, but he continued. "Your friend who we tried to kill twice, almost succeeding the second time, and who died to take down a world-threatening villain."

"If I confess, will you shut up?" I sighed. He'd perfectly summed up my inner struggle.

Trunks shook his head. "Goten, this is why we can't control Gotenks anymore. You keep your turmoil bottled up, then Gotenks is too lazy to care about holding it in. You need to vent, or Gotenks might have seen his last battle."

I ground my teeth, then slammed my fist into my hand. "Fine! Yes, I'm pissed about this! I'm confused about why the girl I spent a freaking year trying to impress went for a guy she knew for a few weeks! I'm jealous that a few months later, they're completely in love! I'm freaking crushed that she just agreed to marry him, with the happiest smile I'd ever seen on her gorgeous face!" My fist clenched unconsciously, drawing blood to seep between my fingers, and I raised it to cover my face. "I hate that I can't bring myself to forgive my friend when the only wrong thing he did actually made things better." I slammed both fists into my head. "Aaaugh! What is wrong with me?! Everyone's happy! Why am I not?!"

Trunks put his hand on my shoulder and lightly pushed so I'd get the message and sit down. I did so, and Pan gently hugged me, though didn't say anything. "Goten," Trunks said carefully, "we both know Locke. Just imagine how happy he'll make her, how happy he'll be with her. They were practically made for each other; I could see it from day two, when he helped her carry her stuff. They're a great pair." He patted my back. "But I get it. It's a lot at once. Remember, though: time heals all wounds."

I nodded. "I guess..." I purposely didn't sound like it, but after that, my heart felt a little lighter. "But if he goes too far before they're married, I'll kill him."

"Too far?" Trunks asked.

"Stuff I can't talk about around Pan."

Trunks sighed in exasperation. "And you're back," he half-laughed, half-groaned. "Come on; someone'll notice we're gone."

 **Cell**

Everyone sat down to a very large dinner in the back yard, prepared by Rachel, Videl, Gohan, and myself. I was quickly finding that I actually enjoyed cullinary arts; I could show my creativity in ways other than battle.

As we were eating, Locke pulled me aside. "Can I ask you for a favor?" he requested.

"Anything sensible."

"I want a gi." I was silent, waiting for him to elaborate. "I've never gone into battle properly-dressed. Now that I know the fight's coming, I want to be as prepared as I can be."

It was true; none of his big fights had been expected. Hell, he wore half a tuxedo for his last one. I nodded and prepared the Clothes Beam.

 **Locke**

We walked back to the group, everyone falling silent at the sight of my new attire. It was a standard gi: the top like a black robe with a gray, long-sleeved shirt underneath, and a purple obi holding it shut; plain gray pants tucked into my boots, identical to Vegeta's. On the back of the gi was the kanji symbol for "fake" in bright red.

Meadow grinned at the sight. "That's awesome," she commented. "You'll be kicking Android butt with style."

I grinned back and sat back down beside her. "That's the idea." The rest of the meal was filled with peaceful chatter. I was a bit surprised to learn that Trunks' girlfriend, Mai, who I'd rarely heard of, had just recently returned home from the school's foreign exchange program, and Trunks and Goten helped her and the others get back home through the Androids.

Sunset was quickly approaching, and as it got lower in the sky, everyone's talking and eating slowed until we all just sat there, watching it go down.

Meadow slipped her hand into mine as the sun become nothing more than a sliver. "I love you, Locke," she whispered. "Be careful."

I nodded. "I'll smash that bucket of bolts and live to see our wedding."

 **Just a note before I end this one: for Locke's gi, just imagine Black's, but with the colors I specified and the symbol. And the thing with the ages for marriage are from Japanese laws, Dragon Ball being primarily Japanese.**


	25. Chapter 25

**Almost to the big show-down. I hope people are still enjoying this, and I really appreciate that a few readers have told me that they do.**

 **Locke**

After assuring everyone who wasn't coming that we'd win, we all lifted into the air and started for Satan City to fight the final battle. Meadow insisted on coming with, and was currently hanging on for dear life on my back.

The city came into sight, as did Oreg's arena. We all slowed as we took in the giant colosseum where the city had been, walls reaching up high into the sky.

"He's really going all-out," Gohan breathed.

Vegeta scowled. "What do you expect? This fight decides the fate of the planet."

"What do you mean?" I asked. "It's just me."

Goku shook his head. "Locke, other than me and Vegeta, you might be one of Earth's strongest warriors. If he steals your energy, he might be able to compete with us, like he said." My eyes widened with shock. "If you lose, we all might."

I looked back at the colosseum with fear. "What have I done?"

We lowered to the ground in front of the huge entrance, so wide that we could all walk in side-by-side. We walked down the long hallway and came out into the arena. There was no platform like the World Tournament Stage, only a large area of metal on the ground. On the other side of the area stood Oreg, his arms crossed. The stands of the colosseum were filled with Androids, shadowy and otherwise.

The light of Oreg's eyes wasn't shining. "Is he... asleep?" I wondered.

Goten pumped his fist. "Perfect! Just blast him and get it done with!"

I nodded and moved to charge a Reaper Cannon, but Vegeta grabbed one of my wrists, holding it in the air. "Do you have no honor?!" he scolded. "You may not be a true Saiyan, but at least take some pride in a fair fight!" He looked at Oreg. "Hey, Android!"

Oreg's eyes flashed red and he looked up. "Ah, you've arrived." He lowered his arms to his sides. "I hope you appreciate the effort I put into making this stage for our battle. After all, we can't have an event this momentous-"

"Hey, you!" a loud voice roared.

Gohan covered his face. "Oh, god, no!"

Mr. Satan ran in from another tunnel, throwing off his cape. A camera crew followed him in. "Robo-freak! Call off your Androids or you'll follow your pal Cell to Hell!"

Oreg sighed. "I don't recall making this battle public," he pointed out. "I only have one opponent. After that, anyone may challenge me."

Hercule put his fists against his hips. "Why would I wait and let someone die when I can take you down right here, right now?"

I gritted my teeth. "Dude," I called, "I get that you have a rep to maintain, but is it really worth more than your own life? Oreg will kill you!"

He only grinned confidently. "I don't think so, kid." He took his battle position. "I'll mash you to bits!" He ran forward, his fist wound back. It slammed into Oreg's chest, and a sickening cracking sound echoed through the colosseum.

"Amazing!" the announcer yelled. "One hit and Mr. Satan was already able to damage the robotic fiend, Oreg!"

Mr. Satan stood still for several seconds, then dropped to his knees, gripping his broken hand. "Aaah ha haaaa!" he screamed in agony. "T-turned the camera off!" The cameraman started to, but suddenly a shadow Android appeared and snatched it.

Oreg chuckled. "I can't have that. I actually like the idea of televising this now." The Android's hands started moving faster than even my eyes could follow. When it was done, the camera had changed to a pile of dust. Then the dust rose up and vanished. "With these cameras, every angle of the fight will be recorded and broadcasted world-wide." Oreg then looked back down at Mr. Satan. "Now then, why don't I end your suffering?" He grabbed Hercule by the throat and slowly lifted him up.

Before he could drain him, I hurled an energy disk, slicing off Oreg's arm. "Run, you idiot!" I shouted. "Face it: you can run or die, but you just televised your biggest failure ever! You're done as an icon either way!" Hercule stared in disbelief, then jumped up and ran.

"C-C'mon!" he yelled to the camera crew. "We are not dyin' today!"

Once he was gone, Oreg turned back to me. "Well, now we have an audience," he said.

"So we do," I sighed. "Good thing I didn't plan on going back to school." I shifted into my battle position and changed into Darkness Form. "Let's get this over with. The sooner you're destroyed, the sooner the world is safe again."

Oreg wagged a finger. "I have one more thing first." He looked around at the Androids in the stands. "I happen to know your plan. To fight me yourself, then have the others attack in the event that you lose. I can't have that." All of the Androids rose. "My creations, destroy these pesky warriors!" The Androids lifted into the air and started to approach us.

Piccolo called out to everyone. "Everyone, to the sky! Locke, Oreg is your's!" Everyone blasted into the air, leading the army away, leaving me with Meadow and Bulma.

Oreg put his hands together, pleased. "Now, we may begin."

I turned to the remaining two. "Meadow, Bulma. Stay somewhere safe. If one of you dies, I'm gonna get my head torn off, either by Vegeta, Goten, or myself."

Bulma took a machine out of her pocket. "This can protect us from stray blasts and shockwaves. Don't worry about a thing."

Meadow stepped forward and hugged me tightly. "I love you," she said quietly. "Be careful."

I smiled. If this was my last verbal exchange with her, I was glad that that was what she'd said. "I love you, too." We separated and they went to the now-empty stands. Bulma pressed a button on the machine and a light blue field appeared around them.

I looked back at Oreg. "Anything else?"

He laughed and pointed his palm at me. "Only taking my position attop this wretched world." I pushed off the ground and zoomed towards him, starting the fight that would decide the fate of Earth.


	26. Chapter 26

**Rachel**

Locke and Oreg collided, fists slamming together and making a visible shockwave. In fact, not even a second later, the ground shook and every window in the house shattered, enticing a scream from me and my mother.

Dad stared at the screen, awed. "I-I knew they were strong, but..." If I hadn't seen Cell's fight with Gohan, I'd have agreed.

I clasped my hands together, giving a quiet prayer. "Cell, Locke; please come back safe."

 **Locke**

The air itself rumbled as our fists collided again and again. It impressed me that I was able to keep up with him, even without fully transforming, but I didn't have time to focus on that.

After a few seconds of this, I jumped to the side and swept my leg at his. He made to stop it, but I pulled off my trademark and ducked behind him, leaving an afterimage. I transformed straight to SSO3 and threw a punch, smashing a hole through his chest. I expected a pained grunt or something, but he only laughed loudly.

"Now _that_ was unexpected!" He spun around and backhanded me. I spun back several meters and came to a skidding stop. "But it's no use. Even if you use that evolved Noire Form of your's, you don't measure up to me." I ground my teeth, then something caught my eye. I smirked, then released my transformation. "Hm?"

I crossed my arms and pointed up. "You know, I met Gero down in Hell. Kicked his ass, and learned a few things that your notes didn't mention." Oreg followed my finger. "Like another transformation." I was pointing at the full moon, hanging above us. Right on cue, my muscles started convulsing. A mechanical tail ripped out of my rear, tipped with a rhombus-shaped blade. My jaw unhinged and reshaped, teeth growing into fangs. My skin started turning grey, metal armor tearing free of it. My size shakily grew, but Cell had accommodated for this upon my request, my gi growing with me, though the sleeves shortened. Oreg gazed up at my monstrous new form. I roared, my voice like a beast combined with screeching metal.

 **Random Girl**

My friends and I been watching a movie marathon at my house when this weird fight came on every channel. Mr. Satan was easily beaten, then a boy stepped up. I kinda recognized the boy from school, then when I saw the girl in the stands, I knew who it was.

"H-hey," I said to the others. "Isn't that Locke Brangwen? You know, the kid that started last year?" They all nodded in agreement. "It is, isn't it? And that girl in the stands is Meadow!"

"Didn't they run off a few days ago?" one of the girls asked. "After he saved Cell?"

"It looks like he had a change of heart."

"Or he was telling the truth and Cell did."

Then his hair grew down to his knees and turned purple, and he punched a hole straight though the robot. Everyone gasped at the sight, but the robot countered and repaired itself. Even stranger, Locke returned to normal, then said something, pointing at the moon. Then he started changing.

In seconds, he was almost as tall as the colosseum itself, and had morphed into a giant armored beast, still human-looking, but seemingly mechanical and his head covered with armor, with only one red eye shining through a slit, a snout protruding with lipless jaws, and ear-like structures extending up into points at about twice the length of his head. It opened its mouth and roared, so loud that we could even hear it with the TV muted.

"... Are we sure that's Locke?"

 **Locke**

I tried to grin down at Oreg, but my metal-based body made it impossible. "I was kinda surprised that you even gave me a form like the Saiyans' Great Apes, only better. And like this, I'm going to smash you to pieces!" I roared and raised my foot, bringing it down on Oreg with the force of a megaton. The metal floor shattered, shards flying up into the air. I raised my power to bring them into my own orbit, then redirected them to rain down upon the other Android. I continued, slamming my fists down in a rapid barage. I couldn't confirm it until later, but my attacks were literally shaking the entire planet, regrettably causing massive damage and hysteria. But we still had one wish left on the Dragon Balls for that purpose. I wound my fist back for one last strike. "Die-!"

There was a brief _zing!_ , then a giant crash. Pain racked through my body, and I fell forward. My body shrank back to normal, and I lay on the torn-up ground, unable to do more than fidget. Oreg walked out of the smoke and placed his foot on my head. "That was impressive, boy. But you forget that Saiyans have a weakness; one that I gave you, as well." He elaborated: "Saiyans find their tails strangely sensitive, so grabbing it or hitting it hard enough can paralyze them for a fair amount of time. Removing it would eliminate these risks, but you'd also lose the gigantic form. And when the tail is severed while transformed, you'll find yourself drained of energy, and as a bonus just for you, you'll be paralyzed for quite a while."

I gritted my teeth. "Dammit! Gero didn't mention that!"

Oreg removed his foot, then reached down. "You know, it's funny."

"What is?"

"You want to save this world, but you're the reason I was able to do all of this."

"?!"

He looked down at me, as though he would be smirking if he had a mouth. "After the death of the Namekian seed, I postponed my plans. Then you and Sanow showed little chance of ever raising your power, so I couldn't judge how strong your brothers could be. I was going to wait until the Z-Fighters were too old and withered to fight back." He laughed. "Then you revived Cell, inadvertently causing Vegeta to temporarily take Goku out of the picture, and raised your own power to a level I never even dreamed of. So I modified the Androids' programming, and set them loose."

"This..." I growled. "This is... my fault?"

"More or less. You can stew on that during your eternity in Hell. Now, I believe it's time to finish this fight." He grabbed me by the throat, and I felt what little energy I had left start to leave me. "Hmm... You don't have enough energy now to be useful. Although I suppose I could just kill you and take someone else's energy. Cell, for example."

I jerked my head up, fighting the paralysis to glare at him. "Stay away from my dad!"

Oreg stumbled back, shocked by the outburst. "How are you moving?"

I struggled to my feet. "Hey," I grunted. "Sanow blew a ton of holes in me and I could still fight. Compared to that, this is nothing."

Oreg raised his hand. "Interesting. Maybe your energy _will_ still be worth stealing." He made to grab me, but I teleported behind him and jumped back.

"No way," I growled, then reached into my pocket and pulled out my Senzu Bean. I quickly ate it, restoring my energy, then fully transformed. I rushed at him again, unleashing a barrage of punches. His armor dented and cracked underneath my fists, until I wound back an especially powerful punch and sent him flying. He landed and skidded back, leaving behind shards of black metal and red glass. "What's wrong, Oreg? What happened to stealing my energy?"

The Android struggled to his feet, then his body started to repair. In seconds, he stood, all evidence of damage erased. "Nothing," he answered. Then his hand shot out- litterally! It disconnected and came at me like a rocket. I was too surprised to dodge and was grabbed around the throat. A cord shot from his arm and reconnected to the fist, then he started draining my energy.

"Shit!" I grabbed the cord and tried to break it, but my strength failed me. Both of my transformations vanished in a flash of light and I felt my muscles failing. "Let g-go!"

 **Meadow**

"Locke!" I screamed. I grabbed the railing and was about to jump out of the stands.

Bulma grabbed me and pulled me back. "Don't! You'd only be putting yourself in danger!"

"But he's going to die!"

Bulma shook her head. "No, he isn't." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a wierd-looking ring. "I looted this off of one of Frieza's goons when they came to Earth. It's strong enough to bore a hole through even Goku."

I grabbed it instantly and took aim.

 **Locke**

I struggled to remain conscious, but my reserves were almost dry.

Suddenly, a red beam cut the cord. My energy stopped draining and I finally tore the hand off my throat and threw it away. Oreg grunted and rebuilt his hand. We both looked to the source, seeing Meadow aiming what I guessed was a laser ring. "Get him, Locke!" she yelled. Urged on, I thrust out my hand and fired a barrage of blasts at Oreg before he could counter. Unfortunately, the attack used the last of my spare ki, and I collapsed, barely conscious.

Oreg stalked over to me, arms crossed. "A valiant effort, but I got what I needed." He held his hand out toward me and started charging a red energy ball. "This will be the last time you meddle with me, boy. Enjoy your trip back to Hell." My eyes closed tightly, then an explosion propelled me backwards.

I expected to open my eyes to the Check-In Station again, but instead, I saw Cell, now a Super Saiyan 2, standing between me and Oreg. He glanced back at me. "I warned you about that giant form," he scolded.

"Not what screwed me," I grunted.

Cell looked back at Oreg. "Either way, I won't let you kill my son."

Oreg shrugged. "Your son? That's odd; last I checked, I designed his seed. If anything, he would be your nephew, considering the two of us are technically brothers."

Cell scowled. "I don't give a damn about technicalities. As long as he considers me his father, I am."

"And you're marrying my mom," I pointed out.

"That as well," he agreed.

Oreg sighed. "Well, it doesn't matter, anyway. You'll both die here."

Cell slowly shook his head. "No; only you will die tonight, Oreg."

"And how do you plan on stopping me? This boy couldn't do it, and he's several leagues above you."

Cell crossed his arms. "Easy. By following the trend my fellow Saiyans have set. I've hit my limit, so all I have to do is force my way past it... and transform." He explained. "You see, Goku has an odd mutation that allows him to absorb powers that should be temporary, such as the God power. That's how he reached Super Saiyan Blue in a fraction of the time it took Vegeta. Having Goku's cells inside me, I subsequently have the same mutation, which is why I regenerated into my Perfect Form, even though 17 was dead and 18 was free. That, and I've also transformed into a God before." He dropped his arms to his side, returned to his base form, and clenched his muscles. "It may not work, but I may be able to do the same as him!"

Oreg laughed. "This may be interesting!"

Cell's ki started flowing around him, flaring up. His strained cry rose, the earth cracking beneath him. It seemed like nothing was happening, but suddenly his ki turned from yellow to bright blue, then glowed brightly, blinding me.

When the light faded enough for me to look again, Cell was covered in a glowing blue shell, then it started to crack. The shards floated off and faded away piece by piece. His body was somewhat thinner, like when he'd become a God, but his hair was icy blue, as were his eyes and aura.

"Holy shit..." I breathed. "Dad, you did it!"

He smirked. "Did you have doubt? I _am_ the perfect warrior, after all." He looked back at Oreg and glowered. "Oreg, I won't waste any more time on you. I'll end you in a single blow." He drew his hands into the Kamehameha position.

Oreg laughed. "What do you plan, Cell? I'm sure the boy has already told you about my ability to absorb energy."

Cell smirked. "You're pretty confident. That'll make this much more satisfying." Suddenly he turned transparent and split in three, then more duplicates started to fill the area. It was hard to tell, but I could see that Oreg was unpleasantly surprised. "Try your luck," all of the Cells taunted. "A thousand fake blasts, and one real one that will reduce you to atoms!" The army all started charging their attacks. "Ka... me..."

Oreg looked around wildly. "Graah!" he roared. "My sensors can't detect a God's ki! Where the hell are you?!"

"... ha... me..." Oreg started firing beams all over, but every time one made contact, the Cell only vanished. "Ha-!" The clones suddenly all vanished, leaving only one. The blast in his hands faded away, and he fell forward, smoke floating from a hole through his chest. His hair fell and turned black again. "D-damn!"

"Dad!" I yelled, struggling to my feet. It was excruciating, but I pushed through it and stumbled to Cell.

He looked astonished. "H-how are you still moving...?" His voice sounded faint, like he was about to pass out, or worse. I dropped to my knees and rummaged through his pockets, finding his bag of Senzu Beans. Only two remained. "We were fighting an army... many fatal hits were taken."

I sighed and put one back, feeding Cell the other. "Stay down," I suggested. "I'll finish it."

"Then take-"

I pushed away the bag when he offered it. "That's a last resort. Save it for when things get really bad." He didn't look like he was going to oblige, then he grabbed my wrist. "Dad, I sai-" I stopped as Cell pulled me into a tight hug. Despite myself, I was stunned. It was the first time Cell had let his guard down so much around me. Tears stung my eyes, but I held them back and hugged him back, taking in the affection of my first father-son hug. "I'm going to smash his damn face," I swore.

"Do that," Cell said, "and your mother and I will work on giving you a younger sibling."

I laughed lightly. "Like you weren't already planning to." He released me and I stood back up. "If you want to watch, go sit with Bulma and Meadow. But I'm sure the others could use your help."

He nodded and stood as well. "I trust you," he assured me as he rose into the air, turning Super Saiyan Blue, then shot upwards, back into the fray.

I glared back at Oreg. He sighed. "What are you planning this time?" he asked. "I already took most of your energy. It's a miracle that you can stand." I didn't respond, only glaring at him. "What, nothing to say now? Well, if you aren't going to do anythin...!" He shot his hand out again, but it passed through an afterimage. "Huh?!"

I reappeared behind him and raised my leg to the side, then spun, my foot tearing through his body like paper. He fell in two pieces, but quickly rebuilt and vaulted forward back to his feet.

He looked at me with astonishment. "I-I don't understand! You should barely be able to move, but I didn't see you at all!"

I placed one hand on my hip and looked him in the eyes. "There's something you don't seem to understand about organic life, Oreg; even biological Androids. We're unpredictable as hell." My muscles clenched and my ki surged around me. "I know I can't beat you, Oreg! At least not with my power right now! But my father was right: I'm still technically a Saiyan. And what do Saiyans do when we hit a wall?"

Oreg's eyes widened. "Y-you wouldn't-!"

I roared, my ki beginning to change color. "We break it down, and transform higher!"


	27. Chapter 27

**Goten**

I breathed heavily, blocking every attack I could, but not getting even one opening to make my own move. I could only guess that Trunks and Gohan were in the same boat, but I couldn't see them through the crowd of Androids.

Then they all suddenly stopped and turned to the colosseum. I was about to take advantage of it, but curiosity took over and I looked to see what had distracted them.

A brilliant white light shot out of the colosseum, extending up into the air beyond my field of vision. I could feel Locke's ki quickly rising, to a level I'd never dreamed he'd reach, then it suddenly vanished, though the light remained.

"What?" The Androids resumed their attack, but the distraction had broken their formation, allowing me a better setup for fighting back.

 **Meadow**

Bulma and I stared in amazement as Locke was completely enveloped by white light, making it difficult to look at him. The ground shook underneath us, and I just barely heard and saw the glass of Oreg's eyes shatter, only to be replaced. Strangely enough, snow started to fall as well, reflecting the light.

The light started to fade, leaving a figure covered with a glowing white shell, with a sparkling snow-white aura surrounding him like flames. The shell cracked, pieces floating off, slowly revealing the figure underneath. I gasped at the sight.

Locke stood, slightly thinner and taller than normal, looking almost exactly like a Super Saiyan. But the colors were all wrong. His spikey hair was a metallic white, and his eyes were the exact same, with a faint circle dividing his pupilless irises from his sclerae. He looked down at himself, his rage turning to surprise.

"What?" he breathed, inspecting his body. "I-I kinda expected a Super Saiyan Orchid 4 or something. What's this?"

Oreg growled, frustrated. "Your own God form." We all looked at the robot in surprise. "I couldn't program a ritual for you to attain the God ki, like Goku did, but the potential was more than possible. And you seem to have found the key."

Locke looked over himself again. "I'm... a God?"

"Yes," Oreg answered. "And this doesn't appear to be the normal Super Saiyan God; this may be your equivalent to Super Saiyan Blue."

"So I can do this again..." He clenched his fists and glared at Oreg again. "Well, I have the perfect test dummy, don't I? And with Darkness Form..." His face contorted, wisps of black flame starting to flicker in his eyes, but suddenly he screamed and covered his right eye.

 **Locke**

The pain was the worst I'd ever felt. I'd tried to use my Darkness Form in conjunction with my God form, but when I tried, something went wrong.

I lowered my hand and stared at it, finding blood staining my palm. Oreg cackled. "Isn't that shocking?" he mocked.

"The hell?!" I demanded., clenching my bloody fist.

Oreg started his explanation. "The power of a God is a force of nature, made to be superior to all other life. The Noire Form, along with your evolved version, marks your artificial life." He wagged his finger. "Why would two polar opposites coincide peacefully?"

I gritted my teeth. "So it's just God form, then." I flexed my fingers, then took my battle stance. "That'll still be enough!" I lunged at him.

He grabbed my first punch, but he seemed to underestimate me, as I tore through his hand and smashed his face in. He stumbled back and started to repair, but I didn't give him the chance, launching into a combination of strikes. His body slowly but surely crumpled and cracked, glass shattering and metal shards falling to the dirt below us. I jumped and spun, sweeping my leg through the air, smashing his head and throwing it off his shoulders. He stumbled back, then crashed to the ground, falling apart.

I breathed heavily, though more from overstimulation that fatigue. The godly ki coursing through my veins still seemed endless, even after delivering the most damage of the day. "Was that it?" I complained. I turned back to Meadow and Bulma, grinning. "I guess he wasn't so tough after-" Something wrapped around my throat and I felt my energy being drained again.

I grabbed the vice and tore it apart, leaping forward and turning to see my attacker. Another Android stood before me, but this one was different. While I could tell that it was still synthetically mechanical, it was built in a way that seemed almost organic, the only proof of metal being the lines running from its eyes to its jaw and the red nodes on its palms. Primarilly, it looked like a young man with pale skin and unkempt orange hair, red eyes glowing between the locks. He wore plain brown trousers, a yellow polo shirt, and a lab coat with the Red Ribbon Army logo on his right breast.

The Android smirked. "You surprised me, boy," it commented. The voice was clearly Oreg's. "If I hadn't had another body prepared, that would have been the end of me."

The corner of my mouth raised in a snarl. "What's with the new look? Not into the classic sci-fi robots anymore?"

Oreg sighed and shrugged, shaking his head. "There was only so much that body could do; it was too clunky. This one, however, is specially designed. I have the same range of motion as a human, but no ki to be sensed, and my 'flesh' is practically indestructable. Despite that, I will still auto-repair any damage done." He then grinned. "As for why I chose this design, this happens to be what Dr. Gero looked like when he was young. Of course, his eyes were blue, and he didn't have my tell-tale signs of synthetic nature."

I dropped back into my battle stance. "I didn't ask for that last part, and I really don't care. The sooner I destroy you, the sooner I can get back to my life!" I rushed at him again, figuring that this new body couldn't be much stronger than the last one. On the contrary, when he caught my fist this time, I stopped cold, unable to even struggle against him.

Oreg smirked and licked his lips. "I think it's time I got a better taste of a God's energy." The node pressing into my knuckles glew brightly and started vacuuming up the white flames surrounding me. I tried to pull away, but his grip was unrelenting.

I growled, then sighed. "Well, you're taking it anyway." Oreg raised an eyebrow. "I may as well speed this up!" I had a theory to test. I growled again, and started pushing the energy into him faster. His eyes glew brightly, and he looked thrilled at first, but then his joy started to become terror and he released me, leaping backwards. "So I was right; you do have a limit. And my God form has enough energy to exceed it."

Oreg glared at me. "You're a smart kid," he spat. "I'll give you that. But you did just give me enough energy to kill you!" He thrust both hands toward me. "This time, there won't be a body left behind!" A huge ball of red energy grew from his outstretched hands, then he shot it towards me.

I waited, trying to judge it before deciding how to counter. Once it got close enough, I grabbed it and redirected it straight up. I fired a Death Beam after it, detonating it in midair and lighting up the whole sky.

I started to look back down, but found myself bent over as a fist buried itself in my stomach. Oreg grinned right in my face, unleashing energy onto my gut at point-blank. I was thrown backwards, a hole blown into my gi, but my flesh still intact. I landed on my feet and was about to run after him, but he took off into the sky, a comet of red. I quickly followed him.

We collided several times as we ascended, ramming into each other and just relying on brute force, not actually throwing any punches or blasts. I was about to rectify that, but suddenly he sped up, going up higher, then coming back down right on top of me. His knees drove into my stomach, knocking the air from my lungs, then he propelled us downwards.

We crashed into the ground with the strength of a meteorite, turning the arena into a crater, though the stands and spectators thankfully got out unharmed. I, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. Blood erupted from my mouth as he crushed my abdomenal organs, splattering his face and my own.

He grinned and lapped at the blood with his tongue. "I'll admit," he laughed as I struggled to breathe, "this was fun. More than I ever thought I could have! But now the game is over." He pressed his knees down one more time, squeezing more blood from my throat, then leapt backwards. He held his hand behind him, collecting black and red energy in it. Rubble lifted and entered orbit of the energy, signifying the deadly capabilities. "It's time for you to die!" The energy grew brighter, dyeing the entire stadium crimson. I clenched my fists and stared in horror, preparing for my second and final death.

Suddenly, I saw energy shatter harmlessly against his back. Despite being uninjured, he let the energy fade and looked behind him. My breath caught, and a sense of foreboding overtook my fear of death. Meadow stood in the crater with us, smoke rising from the laser ring. Her expression slowly changed from desperation to horror as Oreg grinned at her.

"Now there's a thought..." He took a step towards her.

"Don't you take another step!" I shouted.

He only grinned wider and continued towards her. "If I recall correctly, you are the girl who worked her way into the hearts of both of my creations; Sanow's sister, and this one's beloved." Meadow started to back away, but quickly pressed against a wall. Bulma and I stared in horror, her too scared to move and myself too injured. "My goal is to kill all threats and conquer this planet, but I do take pleasure in torture. And what would make this boy lose his mind more..." His hand shot out, grabbing Meadow by the throat and lifting her up. "... than killing the one he thought he'd spend his life with?"

"Don't you f*cking dare!" I screamed, more panicked than angry. If we both died here, I'd go back to Hell, and her to Heaven. We'd never see each other again!

Oreg turned back to me and grinned, his flashing eyes wide with madness. "What are you going to do, Locke?" he taunted. "If you don't want her to die, then come save her!" I struggled to push myself up, but my muscles were failing, making even sitting up impossible. "Don't feel too bad; she would have most likely died when I took over anyway. Though it's existence is still hypothetical, I'm well aware of the child you may have planted inside of her, and I can't allow another of your kind to oppose me." His hand started tightening around her neck. "Say good bye."

I stared helplessly, trying to think of how to stop this. But with my current paralysis, and my transformation beginning to faulter, there was nothing. "Meadow..." I breathed, my voice conveying all of the dread I felt.

Meadow forced a sad smile, tears running down her cheeks. "I-I lo-" A sharp crack echoed through the colosseum. Oreg let her fall to the snow, limp. My wide eyes followed her as she fell, her eyes blank.

A low cry started in my throat, growing into a full-on scream of pure rage and despair. My ki rose again, widening the crater and pushing Oreg back. I floated to my feet, still screaming, grabbing my head and raking my nails across my scalp. _Dammit!_ I mentally shouted. _If I had a Senzu Bean, I could still save her! But I was a freaking idiot and forced Dad to take the last one with him!_ I reared my head back. "Damn you!" Oreg staggered back, staring with shock. He couldn't sense my energy, but he could clearly detect the danger. The snowfall around us was quickly becoming a blizzard. My eyes were wrenched back to him, glowing with a brilliant white light. "Y-you bastard!" No longer caring about the consequences, I pulled out all the stops. Blood seeped out of my eye sockets, staining my vision red and dripping into my mouth and off my chin. My white aura turned to black and white flames. I screamed, black flames bursting from my eyes. The entire Earth shook with my horrifying transformation. "You're going to die here, Oreg! And mark my words, I won't leave even an atom behind!" He crossed his arms in front of himself, but faster than even I could percieve, I smashed my fist into his temple, his "indestructable" skull crumpling. He went flying, smashing into the stands.

He then teleported in front of me and grabbed me around the throat, siphoning my energy again. Instead of resisting, I roared and pumped a huge pulse of energy into him. His hand exploded, sending him skidding back. It quickly rebuilt, though the skin didn't recover and left the metal bare. I closed the distance between us and let out all of my anger.

His body was smashed more times than I could care to count, flattened against the dirt, walls, or sometimes shattered to pieces that reassembled. I was too caught up in my vengence to notice Cell arrive.

 **Cell**

The scene unfolding before my eyes haunted me for weeks to come. Locke was in a strange new form, terrifying on its own but amplified by the blood cascading from his eye sockets. There was a new Android that I assumed to be Oreg from his voice, and Locke was beating the living daylights out of him. Each blow mutilated Oreg's body, again and again, with Oreg repairing every time, only to be destroyed again. I looked around, trying to find the source of my son's uncharacteristic brutality.

The I saw her. Meadow lay in the snow, seemingly dead. Hoping that I was mistaken, I hurried over and dropped to my knees, feeling the vein in her neck. To my shock and joy, there was still a weak pulse, but fading fast. Acting quickly, I took out the last Senzu Bean and placed it in her mouth, moving her jaw to chew it.

Seconds later, a groan escaped her lips and her eyes refocused. "Huh...?" she mumbled, looking up at me. "Cell? What's-?" The memories seemed to come rushing back to her. "L-Locke!" We both turned to watch the fight. Meadow gasped at Locke's brutal assault. He grabbed Oreg's head and slammed him into the ground, flattening his skull, then jumped backwards as it reinflated.

 **Locke**

I huffed, feeling myself grow faint from blood loss. "I can't beat you... if you keep healing..." Oreg got to his feet. "... so I'll have to finish you in one blow." I put my hands in front of me, together at the wrists. My body started trembling as I forced copious amounts of black and white ki into a small ball, growing fast despite my attempts to condense it. Oreg's eyes widened and he put his own hands out, the nodes flashing as he prepared to absorb it.

The ground cracked beneath me, the crevices extending far beyond the colosseum. The ball of ki was now twice my height, and still growing. "Try absorbing this!" I shouted at Oreg. "Cataclysm Ultima!" I fired a gigantic blast of swirling black and white energy. The moment it reached Oreg, it was sucked into his nodes, but I could tell by his panicked expression that he was filling up. "Die, Oreg!" I pushed against the blast. Glowing cracks started to run through his body, and the absorption abruptly stopped.

"N-no! This can't be! _I_ created you; you shouldn't be the superior!" Oreg screamed as he was overtaken by the blast. "Damn it!" I continued putting out energy until an explosion knocked me unconscious, but I'd achieved my goal: that explosion had been the sign that I'd succeeded in carrying out my threat. I'd destroyed even his atoms.

It couldn't have been too much later, as the stars were still out and the moon had only moved a little, but when I finally opened my eyes, laying in the soft snow, everyone was standing over me. By their faces, I knew what had happened: we won.

Goten helped me sit up, but the moment I did, I was tackled back down by Meadow. "M-Meadow?!" Confusion and joy welled up inside me. "You're alive?"

She pulled away, smiling, with tears in her eyes. "Yeah," she responded. "Cell gave me a Senzu Bean while you were going insane."

"I went and got a few more from Korin, so we we could spare the one," Goku added. "Without them, I don't think you would have woken up."

I immediately exploded into sobs and hugged her tightly. "Thank God... Thank God..." I choked.

Meadow pulled away again and wiped away my tears. "Everything's okay now, Locke," she assured me. "You didn't leave anything behind; Oreg's gone."

"It was amazing!" Goku laughed. "You- ha, well, see for youself!" Everyone stepped aside to let me marvel at my work. My eyes widened in amazement.

We were still in the colosseum, but everything in front of us was destroyed- no, _gone_ is more like it. Only a colossal trench remained, everything else blasted to atoms or less.

Vegeta smiled, a rarity from what I'd seen. "You fought like a true Saiyan," he commented. "Oreg never stood a chance."

"So it's over..." I sighed with relief and slumped into Meadow's arms. "Everyone's safe." Then another thought popped to mind. "What about the other Androids?" I asked.

Trunks chuckled and pointed up. I looked, and to my surprise, the army of Androids floated stationary, as though waiting for an order. "They can't function without Oreg. Now they're just empty shells."

I smiled. "Good." I looked around at everyone. "This calls for a celebration, and I think I know the _perfect_ one." Cell chuckled at my pun.

"Already?" Goku asked.

"First, we go home and get some much-deserved rest." I yawned right on cue. "Then..." I looked at Goten and Trunks. "I think it's time I finally settled the score with Gotenks."


	28. Chapter 28

**Cell**

I slowly closed the door to Locke's room after assuring that the two teens were behaving themselves, then returned to the one Rachel and I now shared.

After Oreg's destruction, we'd finally felt safe in returning home. After quite a bit of begging and promising, Meadow had been allowed to spend the night again, provided Locke or I brought her home first thing in the morning.

I slowly opened the door, finding my soon-to-be wife seemingly asleep in bed. I smiled and climbed in with her, not bothering to change at all. As soon as I did, however, she rolled over and climbed onto me, nuzzling into my chest. "All the boyfriends I've had," she whispered, "and I'm marrying the only one I never actually dated." Despite the wording, she sounded content.

I smiled and rubbed her head. "It isn't as strange as the fact that you're marrying an artificial lifeform." She laughed softly; she was awake, but clearly tired from the day's events.

"Cell?" she asked quietly. "Bulma told me you said something to Locke before leaving Oreg to him. Care to explain?"

My face reddened. "I-I meant to wait until our wedding night, at the soonest, of course, so-"

She cut me off, lightly brushing her lips against mine, then picked her head up to smile down at me. "Is it okay that I'm not entirely on board with that?" I looked at her with confusion. "And I don't mean having kids; I mean waiting to." My still-red face turned an even darker shade. "Cell, I love you. If it means I can really show you how much I do, then I don't mind walking down the isle with your baby inside me. In fact, I'd actually like that."

I gulped, weighing my options. But the desperate look in her eyes ultimately made the decision easy. "Alright. But remember, I've only had this body for a few days. I don't know how this process works."

"Don't worry," she assured me. "I do."

 **Locke**

I awoke mid-morning, finding Meadow in the middle of changing, standing in only her panties as she stripped off my shirt she'd borrowed. Acting on instinct, I teleported behind her and placed my hands over her bare chest, cupping the petite mounds. Though, strangely, it almost felt like they were just a tiny bit larger. I smiled as I thought of one possible reason. She squeaked in surprise.

"L-Locke!" she scolded. "Now's not the time for that!" I smiled apologetically and removed my hands. She quickly dressed, slightly nervous under my watchful gaze. "Could you not look at me so intently?"

I smiled. "Sorry. You're just too beautiful to look away from." The compliment seemed to calm her nerves and she finished dressing, wearing a clothing set I'd rarely seen her use: her cropped blue t-shirt was replaced with a white one that revealed only about two inches of her stomach, along with a thin, sleeveless pink jacket that extended only to the bottom of her rib cage, and her grey jeans were replaced with blue ones. Her high-tops were the only things that remained.

I grinned. "What's with the change of style?"

She shrugged. "My whole life just changed. My boyfriend turns out to be an Android, my brother turns evil and gets himself killed, I might be a teen mom, and now I'm engaged before I'm even out of high school. I guess I felt like I should change a little, too."

My smile faded. "I'm sorry I dragged you into all this." She tried to reply, but I continued. "Meadow, you got your neck broken because of me, you lost your best friend and brother, and, like you said, I completely changed your life. All because I wanted to be stronger." I shook my head. "Jeez, I never thought about any of this. I really don't deserve someone like you, do-?"

Meadow smacked me across the face, stopping my rant. "Don't you dare say that," she scolded me. "I thought I made it pretty clear that I didn't mind the changes. And 'best friend'? Sa- um, George- was my best friend when we were younger. For the past year, even before we started going out, that's been you." Her angry face softened and she wrapped her arms around my neck. "And now, I could never imagine life without you. Why do you think I agreed to marry you?"

"So you didn't have to be a single mom," I replied, only half-joking.

She frowned. "I thought you didn't think I was pregnant."

"I don't. But I hope against all odds that I'm wrong; I'm just programmed that way, remember?." She smiled and pulled me into a passionate kiss.

She broke away pretty quickly and retrieved her purse. "You think your parents are up yet? I have something I need to do at home before your match with Gotenks, and I'm really hungry."

"Let's go see."

We ventured to their room, finding the door cracked open. I widened the crack and peeked inside, then just as slowly undid everything I'd done, my face bright red. "What?" Meadow asked.

I gulped. "Ah, I think I can now relate to a few kids on the downsides of a two-parent home." Meadow still looked confused. "Well, um, I may have a brother or sister on the way." I wasn't completely sure they'd gone that far, but both of them being adults, and fairly young ones at that, there were only so many explanations to finding my mom asleep on top of my dad, both seemingly nude.

Meadow blushed as she realized what I meant. "Um, that's... something. I guess I'll just eat at home, then." I nodded and took her hand, using Instant Transmission to take us to her dad's house.

When we arrived, I immediately found myself under her mother's loathing glare. "Mom?" Meadow asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to stop you all from going through with this!" She turned back to her ex-husband. "Ben, Meadow is too young to get married. You can't really be okay with her marrying that Android on his eighteenth birthday!"

"Right here," I grumbled.

Georgia suddenly shrank away from Mr. Fae's menacing gaze. "Georgia, I know Locke. He's a good kid. I know he'll take good care of her, and she'll be really happy. As long as they still want to go through with it, they have my permission."

"And what about my permission?!"

"You don't have a choice anymore."

"That's another thing!" she almost screamed. "Ben, you have to drop that application. You can't take that away from me just because I won't let my daughter get married at seventeen!"

"Yes, I can," he retorted, "but that's not the only reason. You realize that Sanow almost screwed us all over, right? Why do you insist on calling his death a murder?"

"George was a wonderful boy!" she yelled. "He just wanted to protect his sister from this Android!"

"Sanow was an Android, too!" To my surprise, that was from Meadow. She glared daggers at her mother. Not gonna lie: it was a bit of a turn-on. "And the same model as Locke. If he was just in it to protect me, he would have known that Locke wasn't dangerous and would have helped us beat Oreg. He just wanted me all to himself." She grabbed my arm and hugged it tightly. "He killed Locke because he was jealous!"

I scratched the back of my head, but I decided to finally pick a side. "I do regret what I did to Sanow," I admitted, "but I'd do it again if I had to. I don't care that he's the reason I had to use my one revival; I'm just pissed that he wasted all his power fighting me instead of Oreg." My phone buzzed and I cursed under my breath. "Uh, sorry, everyone, but I'm a little short on time. I'll see you at the match, Meadow." She got up on her toes and kissed me before I teleported away.

I reappeared back home and threw my gi in the wash, then got in the shower when it was done.

As I put my gi back on afterwards, I felt something hit me in the back. I turned and found Cell standing behind me in a white shirt and shorts, pointing one finger at me as a light died at the tip of it.

"What was that?" I asked.

He pointed to the mirror in the bathroom. "It was bugging me." I checked and, to my surprise, the "fake" kanji symbol was replaced. It now read "heart". "Locke, you defied your creator, without any hesitation, for the good of the world. You're just as real as anyone else on this damn rock. And your heart just as kind."

I smiled. "Thanks, Dad." He smiled back. "So, I know the odds of myself having kids, but what about you, literal motherf*cker?" His face turned red with guilt as he tried to stutter a response.

 **Meadow**

"Why does this take so long?" I sighed as I paced around in the bathroom. I'd originally entered because I'd started to feel nauseous, and did end up vomiting a little, but when I considered the possible cause, it reminded me of one other thing that I'd meant to do. "Mom and Dad are gonna get suspiscious." Someone knocked on the door. "Speak of the devil."

"Meadow?" It was Dad. "Are you alright? You've been in there a while."

"Fine," I assured him. "Just give me a-" The _beep_ I'd been waiting for went off.

"What was that?" Dad asked.

"Just my phone," I lied. "I'll be out in a sec." I waited for his footsteps to fade away before retrieving the pregnancy test. Before, I thought I'd known what I'd feel about the result: overjoyed if positive, or dissappointed if negative. But now that the result was in front of me, I wasn't sure what I was feeling. Maybe a mix of relief, fear, and confusion.

I took a deep breath. "I'm..."

 **Gonna leave you guys on a cliffhanger there. And before you start jumping to conclusions as to whether or not Meadow's gonna be a teen mom, I want to make one thing clear: I sometimes like to mess with my readers towards the ends of my stories, so it's probably going to be the one you didn't expect, or now that I said that, I could be double-bluffing you, or even flat-out lying. Read on to find out.**


	29. Chapter 29

**Goten**

Trunks and I stood in the desert with all of the Z-Fighters, waiting for Locke and his group to show up. I had to admit, I was a little nervous, preparing to fight the guy that had kicked our asses more than once already and had finally put an end to the Red Ribbon Army.

"No matter what," Trunks clarified again, "we won't go for the kill."

I nodded. "My head's clear now. I still want to win Meadow back, but I'm going to do it the right way now." I smiled. "I'm proud to be Locke's friend, without a doubt."

Suddenly, Locke appeared with his family, Meadow, and her father. I noticed that something seemed to be upsetting Meadow, but when I looked at Locke questioningly, he gave a subtle shrug, though he looked just as concerned.

The three of us walked towards each other, followed by our dads. "I guess we're doing this," Locke said, smiling nervously.

"Yeah," Trunks replied. "You can still back out, if you want."

Locke's smile became a smirk. "In your dreams, monkeys."

Dad was the next to speak up. "So, we'll need to set some rules to make sure nothing goes wrong." He started listing off on his fingers. "First, no entering any cities. You can take the fight anywhere else you like, but not a city or town. Second, be careful with the destruction. We protect the Earth, so it would be a little hypocritical to damage her unnecessarily. Third, no killing each other."

Trunks and I nodded, but Locke cleared his throat. "Actually, Goku..." he was hesitant to say it, glancing around at everyone. "I want the fight to be to the death."

"Huh?!" The confused cry rang out through the spectators.

He explained. "Every other fight we've had, I fought for my life. I feel like that's how we should settle the score."

Vegeta was thoroughly concerned. "Are you sure? If Gotenks dies, he'll just split back into these two, but you'll return to the Otherworld, and having already been revived once..."

"I know the risks," he sighed. "But it has to be this way. Otherwise, I'll never be satisfied."

Meadow instantly shouted at him. "What are you saying?! We've been officially engaged for a day, and you're already trying to get yourself killed!?"

He looked back at her and shook his head. "I don't like it, but I have to do this. Meadow, trust me."

I shook my head. "No way," I snapped. "I'm not going to try to kill you again. I just got my friend back, and I'm not losing you."

"Me neither," Trunks agreed.

Locke put his hands in his pockets, avoiding eye contact. "What about Gotenks? I know from experience that he has a mind of his own."

Trunks crossed his arms. "We aren't fusing until you drop this!"

Locke's teeth clenched and he finally looked back at us. "Goten, Trunks, I need you guys to do this for me. I won't be able to sleep at night unless we know for absolutely sure which of us is stronger, in power and will." He clenched his fists and held one out. "Please, guys. I've proved that I'm willing to go in for the kill; prove that you can, too. Try to kill me, or I'll never forgive you."

My teeth ground. I knew I couldn't kill my friend, but at the same time, I knew the rush of mortal combat. Besides, I knew he'd go for the kill, knowing we'd be okay, so it wouldn't be fair for us to hold back. "Are you absolutely sure?" I asked.

He nodded. "I'll be content, and you'll have fulfilled your friend's final wish."

I sighed, and reluctantly touched my fist against his. "I won't like it," I assured him, "but if that's how you want to go out, I'll let you have it."

He smiled. "You sound like you think I'll lose."

I forced a smile back. "Senzu Beans restore all of your strength, so we skipped sleeping to spend last night in the Time Chamber. I think you're a little outmatched."

Trunks looked at us like we were crazy. "Are you two really okay with this?!"

"No," I responded truthfully, "but he's right. We need to show the same conviction as him; if he's going to try and kill Gotenks, then it won't be fair if we don't do the same." Trunks still looked unsure, but nodded, putting his fist against ours'.

Then a destructive force knocked our heads toward the ground almost simultaneously. "Are you all insane?!" Meadow screamed. "I'm not going to stand by while my fiance gets killed by his friends!" I winced at "fiance".

Locke smiled as he rubbed his head. "You really think I'll lose? You saw me fight Oreg."

"I saw you almost kill yourself to overpower him!"

 **Locke's POV**

I didn't want to admit it, but I was just as scared as her. A night in the Time Chamber would be a number of weeks of training, and I could guess that they'd already trained in the time between our last fight and our friendship reinstating; more than likely, they'd grown just as much as they were bragging, if not more. But with my ascention to the God level, I knew I'd be able to hold my own, and maybe even overpower them.

I sighed and forced Meadow into a hug. She struggled, but I ignored it. "Meadow, trust me. Please."

"No! I won't let you!" She hugged me tightly, as though she was going to hold me in place, despite the futility.

I stroked her hair softly. "If I don't, I'll spend my whole life wondering, and Saiyans have long lives; not to mention Androids." She shook her head, only squeezing tighter. "I'll fight my hardest, if that's any consulation."

"It isn't," came the choked reply. She was beginning to tremble.

I pried her off me as gently as possible and looked into her teary eyes. "Meadow, I'm a warrior. If I don't settle things with my rival, then when I finally do die, I won't be at peace. Please."

She sniffed and wiped her eyes. "You'd better not die," she said sternly. "If you do, you'll find me with you pretty fast."

I shook my head. "We both know you can't afford to do that right now." I lowered my gaze to her stomach. "Not until later today, at least."

She looked like she had a response to that, but instead, she hugged me again. "Just don't die."

I smiled and returned the hug. "I'll try my hardest."

She released me and started to back towards the other spectators. "I love you," she said softly.

"I love you, too." I noticed Goten scowl in the corner of my vision, but when I turned to face him, it was gone.

"So," Vegeta started, "are you going to start?"

I nodded. "It's time to finally see who's stronger. The Bratty Fusion, Gotenks, or the Phantasmal Android, Locke Brangwen-Gero?"

"Come up with those on your own?" Trunks asked. "Where does 'Phantasmal' come from?" I flicked him in the back of the head as my afterimage faded. "Right." They adjusted so we were in a circle again. "So, anything else to say before we start?"

"I don't think so," I responded. "All we need is for you two to fuse." They nodded and put space between us, getting in position.

"Fu... sion! Ha!" Light exploded around them, then faded to show the fusion warrior. He smiled and crossed his arms. "So, I finally kick my obsession with killing you, now I have to. How-"

"Shut it!" Vegeta groaned. "We've heard it enough times already!"

Gotenks scratched the back of his head. "Eh, right. Now, let's get started." I nodded.

Vegeta handed us each an earpiece. "These will let you hear us, no matter where you are. Just in case you're far away when it's time to say goodbye."

"Thanks," I said, a bit solemnly. We both put them on and got into position.

A low sound reverberated from our throats, then we both transformed into SS and SSO. The sound grew in volume, and we slowly shifted to the next level, into SS2 and SSO2. The ground was cracking beneath us, forcing everyone watching to back away. Rocks floated into the air and started swirling around us as our hair grew even further down, our eyebrows vanishing. Energy exploded from us. When the lights faded, we stood, Super Saiyan 3 and Super Saiyan Orchid 3. Black flames erupted from my eyes as I added my Darkness Form to the transformation, and we both struck our battle stances.

"Gotenks. Our final bout... starts now!"


	30. Chapter 30

**Sorry about not uploading last week. I was in the hospital for a few days, and it just slipped my mind. I'm fine, and nothing should get in the way of my final few uploads. I hope my hiatis didn't drive anyone away.**

 **Meadow**

We all looked on as the two warriors stared each other down, one with long, flowing golden hair, putting out a golden glow, and the other with purple hair of the same size and black fire billowing from his eyes, his body letting off hazy black-and-purple energy.

"Gotenks," Locke growled, his voice strained from his transformations. "Our final bout... starts now!" In the blink of an eye, their forearms collided, unleashing a shockwave that pushed all the superhumans back and knocked us normals off our feet. I quickly got back up, desperate to see the battle, but I found that it was almost impossible to follow their movements. All I could tell was that they were there, and moving very fast. Though from the lack of shockwaves, they'd yet to land another blow.

"Holy crap..." I breathed as I watched the fight. I'd never witnessed anything as amazing as this; even Locke's fight with Oreg paled in comparison. Locke and Oreg's fight was just them trading dominance, but these two seemed evenly matched, even from my untrained eyes. The awe faded, along with the despair of possibly losing the love of my life again. In its place came fierce adrenaline, like a fan would have at a Battleball game. I pumped my fist in the air and shouted, "Kick his ass, babe!"

 **Locke**

I grinned as Meadow cheered. Gotenks's eyes narrowed in annoyance as he heard it. "Damn," he growled, only loud enough for me to hear. "Locke, we're friends again, so maybe now we can talk this out."

"Not too good at-" Gotenks landed a punch on my jaw. "-talking while fighting!" He took advantage of the distraction and unleashed a flurry of punches, striking my abdomen and head multiple times before I caught his arm and threw him back. "Goten, I'm sorry I took Meadow from you; I never meant to. It just happened, and we were both happy." Gotenks resumed his assault, but I managed to block his punches. "Until a week ago, I would have been okay to let you have her, if she'd take you. But things just didn't work out that way."

"Shut up!" he roared, throwing a much harder punch that pushed me back, despite my block.

"You're the one who wanted to talk about it!"

He took a second to recover his stamina, then got back into it. "Locke, Goten forgives you now, and he's glad that you and Meadow are so happy. He's just confused."

"About what?" I asked.

"Why she chose a guy she knew for a few weeks over her friend for almost a year!" He spun and sent a hard kick straight for my neck. I caught it, but with difficulty. "The way she was acting, we both thought she and Goten were meant to be. But when you came along, you shattered that illusion on your second day! Well, for Trunks at least. Goten was still ignorant." One of his eyes twitched; probably Goten's response to that last comment.

I sighed. "We both already agreed that I had more in common with her, Trunks." I grabbed his leg tighter and started spinning him around. "Now can we please stop talking and actually start fighting? You realize that 3 has a time limit."

"Alright, then." I threw him, but he stopped almost immediately and flipped forward, slamming his forehead into mine. It didn't seem to go as planned, as we both reeled back, holding our heads. He recovered first, though, and fired an energy blast at my stomach. Spittle flew from my mouth and I was thrown back, my feet carving two long trenches in the dirt.

I gripped my stomach and panted, feeling the effects of SSO3 beginning to show. Upon close examination, though, Gotenks was having the same issue. Almost in sync, we both shot up into the air, then changed directions and collided, fists on fists. We pushed against each other, neither really gaining the advantage, until Gotenks smirked and opened his mouth wide. A ball of yellow ki shot out and hit me right in the face, distracting me enough for Gotenks to win over and throw me back. I held my marked-up face as I floated backwards, glaring at Gotenks.

Almost simultaneously, we gave a pained grunt; our forms were costing too much energy. Seeing this, Gotenks lifted his hands into the air, beginning to charge a giant ball of fiery ki. I responded my charging my Reaper Cannon.

"Finish Buster!" he shouted, throwing the blast.

"Hyper Reaper Cannon!" I fired a much larger version of my attack, colliding with his. They pushed against each other, neither giving in. Finally, they both quaked, then exploded, throwing us both back.

We slammed into the ground, making large craters, and I lay still for a few seconds, catching my breath. When I floated out, Gotenks was as well. We made eye contact, and Gotenks smirked, releasing his transformation. Intrigued, I did the same.

He crossed his arms. "I can see how you beat Oreg now, Locke. You've grown since our last fight."

I smirked. "You haven't been slacking, either. I've never actually fought an even match before; I've always been either winning or losing by a large margin."

Gotenks held up one finger. "And this isn't even my full power." His smirk became darker. "Our dads aren't the only ones who have the power of Gods." His body exploded in blue light. His ki went higher than any I'd ever sensed, then vanished. The light faded, and revealed Gotenks, covered in a glowing blue shell. The shell broke away, and he stood in Super Saiyan Blue form. "What'cha think?" he asked mockingly. "The first Super Saiyan Blue fusion: Gotenks Blue!"

I clapped, smiling brightly. "Great job guys! You may have the advantage now!" He grinned triumphantly, but my own became a smirk reminiscient of the one he'd worn seconds before and I moved one of my hands to my hip. "But on the other hand, you're still just two monkeys who have no idea what they're up against." My ki turned white and exploded, enveloping me.

 **Gotenks**

"Wh-what?!" I had to cover my eyes as his ki exploded with white light. It slowly faded, and I saw him now covered in a glowing white shell, similarly to how I had just been. Almost luminescent white clouds had moved in while I was blinded, and snow was beginning to fall.

The shell started to break away, revealing his slimmer form, spiked-up white hair, and pupilless white irises. "This is how I beat Oreg," he announced. "My own form, utilizing the ki of the Gods: Super Saiyan White!" He raised his fist into the air and unleashed a shockwave as a demonstration.

I gritted my teeth; I'd thought I was first God of our generation. It was a little upsetting that Locke had beaten me to that as well. "Why are you always a step ahead of us?" I growled. "Agh, never mind! Just finish transforming and let's get back to this."

"Actually, I am done." I looked at him questioningly. "This form and my Noire and Darkness Forms don't agree. I tried it, but it put too much strain on my body. Blood dripped from my eyes like tears."

I cringed at the image. "So we're both relying solely on our God forms, then. I guess I have the advantage now!" I shot forward, hoping to catch him off guard. He seemed surprised, as I'd planned, but when my punch would have made contact, it passed right through him. "Oh, god, no!" The afterimage faded and I felt a heavy force smack my head downwards.

 **Locke**

I backpedaled while Gotenks recovered, then fired a barrage of small blasts from my hand. Every one met their mark and kicked up a dust cloud that fully enveloped him. I waited for the dust to clear before atacking again, but before it did, a Kamehameha blasted out of the cloud. I tried to dodge, but it struck my left shoulder, not injuring it too badly but sending me spinning like a top. I dizzily wobbled when I stopped, my vision still spinning.

While I was distracted, Gotenks took advantage of it to attack. "Die Die Missile Barrage!" I couldn't even act; every one of the blue missiles struck me, and I was knocked off my feet. Luckly, the attack brought me back to my senses and I immediately leapt back to my feet, just in time to catch his next punch. A shockwave blew from our hands, tearing up the ground beneath us and throwing the slowly-piling snow into the air. Gotenks immediately started a flurry of attacks, and I countered with my own.

Fist-on-fist, forearm-on-forearm, shin-on-shin; our clash continued for a while, each of us sneaking in a direct hit every now and then. Blood dripped down the right side of my face from one of his, and Gotenks's left eye was squeezed shut from one of mine.

Finally we broke apart, and, to my surprise, Gotenks shot straight up into the air. I followed close behind, firing blasts after him. He dodged every single one and kept going straight up. The air started to thin, when he suddenly changed directions. I struggled to cope with the sharp turn, but continued my chase.

"Where the hell are you going?" I demanded. He either didn't hear me or just plain ignored me.

After a few seconds, he changed directions again, once again going straight up. By now, we were almost on the opposite side of the planet, where it was night time. My clouds had followed us, covering the stars, but the darkness still betrayed the time of day.

We shot through the clouds, and I took a deep breath as we shot through the atmosphere into space.

We came to a crashing hault on the moon and immediately resumed our fight. This time, though, neither of us could land a hit, us both deflecting every attack sent our way. I threw a punch, he pushed it aside and tried to counter with an upward kick that I dodged. It continued on for maybe ten seconds, then I ducked behind him, leaving behind an afterimage, and went for a punch square on the nape of his neck. But before I could, he spun around and slammed his shin into my side. My body became visible again and blood sprayed from my mouth, along with all the air I'd been trying to hold it. Suddenly suffocating, I back towards the Earth, followed by Gotenks.

We both crashed down back on our original battleground, gasping for air. "How... did you... counter?" I panted.

He grinned. "I fired an invisible eyebeam, probably right when you left that afterimage. You didn't explode, so I realized what you were doing."

"Just my luck." I straightened up. "But it looks like we're still evenly matched in our God forms. Someone's gonna need to change strategy, or this'll just become a test of stamina."

Gotenks smirked and closed his eyes. "Actually, I do have one other trick up my sleeve." I subtly panicked, as I was already giving it my all. He clenched his teeth and got into his charging stance, his sparkling blue aura flaring up around him. "Super Saiyan Blue is pretty much just Super Saiyan while using the power of Super Saiyan God. So I figured that it probably had other levels." My eyes widened when I realized what he was insinuating. "Aaaaaaaah!" I couldn't sense his power, but I did feel gravity increase many times over. He bent over, his hair growing out behind him in a familiar fashion. He reared up and gave a might roar, unleashing a blinding flash.

When the light cleared, I was staring at what was probably the world's first Super Saiyan Blue 3. Gotenks smirked. "What about you? Anything you've been hiding?"

I took a step back, scared for my life. "Considering this is only my second time using Super Saiyan White, I never even thought about it."

Gotenks nodded. "I expected as much. Now, I think it's time I ended this." Then he disappeared. I was about to look around, but suddenly he reappeared right in front of me, unleashing a flurry of melee attacks of all kinds. I was rendered completely helpless, his movements too fast to counter or dodge.

When I was thoroughly beaten, he leapt back and crossed his arms in front of him. "Super Ghost Kamikaze Attack!" Five white blobs blew out of his mouth like chewing gum, taking the form of ghostly Gotenks. They all flew at me, but when I tried to knock away the first one, it exploded, followed by the others. Before I could even act in response, Gotenks was in the air, firing another Die Die Missile Barrage down onto me. I could no longer hold it in and screamed in agony.

The missiles finally stopped, but by then I was laying in a crater, too beaten to move. The dust cleared, and I saw Gotenks still in the air, charging a colossal Finish Buster above him with one hand.

I forced a smile. "Go ahead, guys. Secure your victory."

"Are you abolutely sure?" he asked one final time.

"I am. Just let me do something first." With some difficulty, I reached up and pressed the button on my earpiece. "Meadow?"

 _"Locke!"_ came the choked response. _"Locke, you have something prepared, right?"_

"No," I sighed. "I'm all out of options."

 _"What about your Darkness Form?!"_

"I don't think I can. Last time, I was too angry to care about the consequences; it probably won't happen while I'm in my right state of mind."

 _"B-but you can't just die!"_

I closed my eyes, feeling the heat of the Finish Buster, even though it hadn't been thrown yet. "It sucks, yeah, but I already told you why it has to be this way."

 _"Locke, please... you... I-I..."_

Assuming she was going to say "I love you", I started to do the same. "I love you, too-"

 _"I'm pregnant!"_

Silence fell over the entire area and Gotenks's blast faded away.

"... C-come again?"

 _"Locke, I took the test this morning. We beat the odds, somehow."_

 **Meadow**

 _Flashback_

 _I slowly walked out of the bathroom, holding the pregnancy test. Mom and Dad were still arguing, but stopped when they saw me._

 _"Meadow, tell your father- what's that?" From her face, it was clear that she already knew; she just wanted to be wrong._

 _I sat down between them on the couch and handed Dad the test. "Is this...?" He trailed off as he read it. "Meadow, please tell me this is a joke?"_

 _I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Dad. I'm... I'm pregnant."_

 _Mom looked at me with pleading eyes. "Honey, please tell me that it isn't that Android's!"_

 _I glared at her. "Stop calling him that," I snapped. "And yes, it is."_

 _She snatched the test from Dad and scrutinized it. "These things can be wrong, right?"_

 _I shook my head. "Not since Capsule Corp. started making them. Besides, Gero's notes listed signs that would appear in the first few days, and I had them all."_

 _She shook her head, clearly angry. "Well, I won't stand for this! Meadow, we're taking you out right now and getting rid of this... parasyte!"_

 _"You can't," Dad informed her. I was about to thank him, but he continued. "Not until the baby's formed a little."_

 _"There are other-"_

 _"No!" I shouted, startling them both. "We can't because I won't do it!" They stared at me, shocked. "This is my baby, too, you know! I'm going to have it, and I'm going to raise it!"_

 _Mom narrowed her eyes. "If you think we'll support this-!"_

 _I cut her off again. "You don't need to; Locke's family will if you won't. His mom had him when she was fourteen, so she'd be a hypocrite if she didn't, and his grandparents are the third richest people in the world. We'll be fine, with or without you two." They both looked even more shocked, but hurt as well._

 _Dad put his hand on mine. "I'm sorry, sweetheart; I was just panicking. I'd never imagine making you do something so extreme."_

 _"Are you two crazy?" Mom snapped. "Ben, our daughter has an Android growing inside her!"_

 _"So did you," Dad pointed out. "And you refuse to accept that he was a monster. Why are you so against Locke and your own grandchild?"_

 _Mom ground her teeth, then stood and stormed towards the door. "Fine! But if this freak kills you while you're giving birth, don't expect me to be a forgiving grandma!" She slammed the door behind her._

 _I looked up at Dad, my eyes beginning to tear up. "You're really okay with this?"_

 _"Meadow, I've always said that Locke was a good kid. I'm sure you and him will make great parents. I'll admit, I'm dissapointed that you were so careless, but what's done is done. We may as well make the most of it."_

 _I hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Daddy."_

 _Flashback End_

 **Locke**

I forced my head to turn to where everyone was watching. It was far away, but I could just barely make out who was who. "Then..."

 _"You're going to be a daddy. So you can't die!"_

I stared with shock. A small smile found its way onto my lips, and I was about to say something, but Gotenks cut me off with an angry shout. "You bastard!" My head whipped back up to my opponent, his Finish Buster reforming and doubling in size. "What the hell were you thinking?!" He hurled the flaming ball down at me. "Ultimate Finish Buster!"

I forced myself to my feet, but felt my SSW form begin to faulter. "N-no! I... I-I...!"

 **Meadow**

"Locke!" I screamed as the blast came down on him. I dropped to my knees, sobbing. My hand came to my belly, where everyone now knew his baby was located.

I felt a hand fall on my shoulder. I expected condolences, but instead came the last thing I expected. "This isn't over just yet," Goku informed me.

I looked back up, and to my shock, the ball of fire was rising back into the air.

 **Gotenks**

I grunted in shock as my attack started rising back into the air, pushed back by Locke. I could see that his transformation was still flickering, but he somehow managed to hold my attack back. He pushed it upwards, then let go and brought his leg up, kicking it and sending it flying at me. I dodged, letting the attack fly into the air before it exploded. Locke stood in the crater, bloody and panting, but still alive.

I ground my teeth. "What the hell were you thinking?" I roared. "She's still a kid; you both are! You're too young to have a baby!"

He clutched his chest, his breath becoming heavier. "I know. We shouldn't have done it, but it's too late to regret it now; it won't do any good." He raised his head to look at me, and the first thing I noticed was the red lines forming on his eyelids. "Sorry, Gotenks, but I can't afford to die anymore."

I dropped to the ground and walked towards him, every step cracking the ground. "And why's that?" I asked.

He looked me right in the eyes, and the red lines turned into dribbles of blood flowing down his cheeks. I knew what he was intending. "Goten, we both know what it's like to grow up without our dad. It sucks. There's no way I'm going to make my kid go through that; no way in hell."

I wound my fist back and punched his face, knocking him down. "And how the hell do you plan on making sure of that?"

"Either I convince you not to kill me..." He struggled to his feet, and raised his white eyes to meet my blue. "... or I win." The flow of blood increased, and his sclerae started to darken.

"How are you going to?" I asked. "I thought you said you couldn't do that on command."

He shook his head slowly. "I can't; it causes too much strain. But..." Small wisps of flame started to appear. "... just the thought of my son or daughter growing up without their dad..."

I gritted my teeth and punched him twice, knocking him down again, but finding a bit more resistance. "No need to worry about that. Once you're dead, she'll go running back to Goten. I'm sure he'll be ten times the dad you'd have been."

A sharp snarl ripped from his throat as he got up again. "If you think she'll let either of you anywhere near that kid after you've killed their father, then you need to check your facts."

"I'll figure it out. Either way, they'll be better off without you!" I threw one final punch, with enough power to knock his head right off his shoulders, but faster than my eyes could follow, his hand was in the way, holding my fist in a death-grip.

Black and white flames appeared around him, then flames of an even darker black erupted from his eyes, white pinpricks piercing through. "No." The single word shook me to my core. "I can't afford to die anymore. Not when my family needs me now more than ever." His aura flared up, tearing up the ground beneath us, and would have blown me away were it not for Locke's hold on my fist. The snow around us was quickly picking up into a full-blown blizzard, covering us both in a thin layer of frost. His teeth clenched with enough force that they cracked and he gave a mighty roar, throwing a punch. It connected with my forehead, shattering the frost and snapping my entire head back. My vision filled with bright spots, and I felt him let me go, letting me fall to the ground. But before I landed, I turned and caught myself, vaulting away and turning back to face him.

We both blasted into the air, then collided, trading blows just like before. Only this time, instead of every attack failing, every single one met its mark.

 **Locke**

Defense was the last thing on either of our minds. All we could think of was how quickly we could kill the other. This battle had officially become a test of endurance, as our power had finally re-synced. We were evenly matched once again. Not one square inch of our bodies was spared from our assaults. I felt everything be hit with the force of twelve megatons each strike, but I managed to dish out just as much. The blood pouring from my eyes was now joined with the blood each of us was spewing from countless lacerations. Almost every inch of our skin was bruised, torn, or both.

One final kick from me sent Gotenks flying, but he recovered and took off into the sky. I followed close behind.

He stopped, but this time still inside the atmosphere, and whipped his hands around in front of him in various quick motions, then snapped into the Kamehameha position. I caught on and backed away as far as I could while still being able to see him, then put my hands out in front of me. Orange flames collected in his hands, while black and white energy ran down my arms to fill mine. I glanced downwards, seeing the clouds across the world moving at an insane rate from the wind our fight was generating, and my snow was being spread across the planet as a result.

"Burning...!" His attack was generating a bright light, signalling it's impending blast. "Kamehameha!" He thrust his hands out, firing the flaming Super Kamehameha towards me

"Cataclysm Ultima!" My blast fired just after, slamming into his halfway.

The two attacks pushed against each other, unable to make any ground over the other. I couldn't sense his ki, but I knew it was at its peak, just as mine was. We were both giving this our all, just like I'd asked; the winner would really be the stronger of the two. I put as much ki as I could spare into the attack, and it was clear Gotenks was doing the same. I tried to peer around the blasts to catch sight of him. When I did, I noticed something: his aura was flickering like dying fire. His SSB3 form was eating too much energy; he'd wear out soon. But so would I. Armed with this piece of information, I took a gamble, and put more power into the blast. If he managed to beat me out still, I wouldn't have enough energy to dodge. This spelled the end for one of us.

And luckly, it wasn't me. My blast quickly overpowered his, approaching him at a steady pace.

"Wh-what the fu-?!" Before he could finish, his blast broke, and he had to resort to holding mine back with his bare hands, but due to his lack of energy, he wasn't able to hold his ground. He was quickly being pushed back. He gave a roar of anger, then was swallowed by the blast and carried with it far away from the Earth.

I released the blast and took a second to catch my breath, then put my fingers to my forehead and searched. Almost instantly, I found the ki signatures of Goten and Trunks and used Instant transmission to retrieve them before they suffocated in the vacuum of space.

Once I had them, I appeared back on Earth in front of everyone who'd been watching. I dropped the two Saiyans, the stumbled forward and fell. Someone caught me, and I looked to see who. Meadow's teary but smiling face met my eyes, and I sighed in relief, returning to my normal form.

"You did it!" she happily cried. "You're still alive!"

I smiled and closed my eyes, nuzzling my head against her chest, which I noted had already gone up maybe half a letter size. "What kind of dad abandons his kid before they're even born? And yes, that was slightly directed at you, Goku."

"Ouch."

Suddenly realizing something, I looked up at Meadow again. "You were serious, right? You didn't just say that so I wouldn't die?"

She shook her head, smiling wider. "I meant it, Locke. I'm really having your baby."

I smiled again and placed my hand on her partially-exposed stomach, unintentionally leaving a bloody handprint on her white shirt. "Our baby." I forced myself to sit up and kissed her.

"Congrats, you two," Gohan said, somewhat hesitantly.

"Are you sure this is worthy of congratulations?" Piccolo asked. "They're still children."

"I don't care," Meadow told everyone. "I'm glad, actually. Scared, but glad."

"Same," I sighed, then passed out.


	31. Chapter 31

**Meadow**

"You guys wanna come over?" Penny asked as we walked out of school.

It's been a little over a week since Locke and Gotenks settled their rivalry. I was able to return to school just in time for the election for class president, and found that I'd actually won. Locke hadn't returned to school, however, opting to train for something he said was coming up.

I was currently walking out of school with my friends Jen, Penny, Kylie, and Dan, after an afterschool student council meeting.

Dan shook his head. "Nah, I've got a date."

"With who?" Jen asked skeptically.

He grinned at me. "Meadow. How about it?"

I sighed and shook my head. "And why do I suddenly seem so interesting now compared to when we first became friends?"

He jolted, probably not expecting having to explain himself. "Well, um, I guess, you know, uh... I didn't really know you too well before, then I realized how insightful you are in our meetings."

Kylie snickered and corrected him. "Don't lie, Dan. We all know it's because her boobs suddenly ballooned." I turned bright red and glared at him. He was unable to respond. "What's that about, anyway? Don't tell us you've been getting implants."

My face reddened even more. "Wait, no, that's not-!"

"Are you going to tell us they just popped up on their own?" She grinned. "Admit it, you're trying to catch someone's attention. Or everyone-"

"It _is_ natural because-" I cut off before I said too much so suddenly. "It just is."

"Well, are we on?" Dan asked.

I shook my head. "Sorry, but I have a boyfriend already."

Dan looked defiant. "And what makes him better than me?"

I smiled. "He's a martial artist, he loves me unconditionally, he's completely loyal, and..." I took a breath, having finally eased my way into it. "... well, I just so happen to be two weeks pregnant with his baby." Everyone looked utterly shocked. "That's why my bra size jumped up."

Jen shook her head. "No way, it takes longer than that for your breasts to grow that much. I took the same sex ed class as you, Meadow."

I struggled to find an explanation besides "The father isn't completely human." "Well, um, the doctor said something about an enzyme or something... Augh, that doesn't matter!"

Dan's face fell. "So you're taken..."

"Oh, shut up," Jen told him. "You only wanted her so you'd have a girlfriend with big tits."

I sighed. "Anyway, I can't come over tonight. I have plans with my boyfriend."

"So, who is this guy?" Kylie asked. "I want to size him up before I'm okay with him knocking up my friend."

I looked toward the school gate. "He said he'd pick me up. I guess he's probably over there waiting." We approached the gate.

We passed through, and sure enough, Locke was leaning against the wall, staring up into the sky. I smiled. "Hey," I greeted.

He looked down and smiled back. "Hey."

My friends were thoroughly shocked. "Wait, Locke?" Penny gasped. "I thought you died fighting that robot!"

"Nice to see you, too," he greeted them. "And for your information, that robot broke my girlfriend's neck. I didn't even leave an atom behind."

Dan crossed his arms and glared at him. "This is the guy who stole my girl?"

Locke's eye twitched. "You know, I'm really tired of other guys calling the _love_ of my life 'their girl'."

Dan waved it off. "Whatever. I know that whole fight was staged. All you are is a shit actor with an amazing hacker that broadcasted your play across the world."

Locke's eye twitched again, then he vanished. When he reappeared, he was holding Dan twelve feet in the air. "Still don't think that was real?"

"O-okay! I'm convinced!" Locke dropped him and lowered back to the ground.

Locke gave Dan one last dirty look, then looked back to me. "I've got some good news," he said happily.

I smiled and hugged him. "What would that be?"

"Before I tell you, do they know about...?"

I laughed and nodded. "Yes, they know about the baby."

He sighed in relief and continued. "Well, it won't be too lonely any time soon. They'll have an aunt or uncle to grow up with."

My eyes widened. "Your mom's having a baby, too?"

He nodded. "We walked in on exactly what we thought we did." We shared a brief laugh, before agknowledging everyone watching. "Um, are you guys just going to watch or go home? You're making this a little awkward."

"Uh, yeah, right." Jen coughed and waved. "I guess we'll see you Monday, Meadow." They all left.

I reached up and pecked him on the lips. "So, what's the plan for our date night?"

Instead of responding, he used Instant Transmission to take us right to his living room. As soon as we were there, he plopped down on the couch and picked up the remote. "Movie night, with a surprise."

"I don't know. Your last surprise was kinda messy."

His face turned red. "Um, different kind of surprise." He turned on the TV and changed to a movie channel.

After two movies, I was getting tired, but Locke insisted that I stay awake a little while longer. Finally, after the third, he shook me awake again. "Here it is." I looked up and, to my surprise, saw Cell on the TV.

 _"Hello, people of Earth,"_ he greeted. _"I must say, this is a little odd, as the last time I was on TV, I announced that I was going to kill you all."_

"Nice one, Dad," Locke sighed.

 _"My name is Cell. And before you jump to any conclusions, yes, I am the same Cell who hosted the Cell Games. I may look different, but I am the same man. Worry not, though; this time, I come to announce something grand: a second Cell Games, though this time your lives are secure. It is free to enter, and this time, I will not participate. I will go into the rules further in the future, but for right now, just know that my Games will be hosted in a few months, the exact date still undetermined. I will give more news in the coming months. I hope to see many fighters there."_ The ad ended.

I hugged Locke tightly. "This is great!" I stated. "Cell can finally clear his name now." He nodded, but something about his expression was off. "Is something wrong?"

He scratched his head. "No, but the thing is... well, Dad gave me a window for the tournament, and..." He gulped. "... it'll be somewhere around your due date. Maybe even the same day."

"Okay?" He seemed confused by my response. "Locke, you're a martial artist, and this is your dad's tournament. As long as you're there when our bundle of joy arrives, I don't mind you taking some time away."

He smiled. "That's a weight off my chest." He kissed me gingerly, then picked me up. "Time for bed. Should I take you home or do you wanna sleep here?"

"Here," I answered, wrapping my arms around his neck as he carried me to his room.

 **Okay, short chapter, but this was more or less filler as the story winds down. The action is all over, so the rest of this is some family time. I'm almost done, so please bear with me.**


	32. Chapter 32

**Locke**

The crowds of people filling the wasteland buzzed with chatter, clustered around the large arena. My dad stood in the center, staring at his watch in anticipation.

When it hit noon exactly, he raised his voice for all to hear. "Welcome, one and all, to the second Cell Games!" A cheer rang out through the crowd. "Now, allow me to go over the rules. First of all, all rules included in the World Tournament are still valid here. Second, as I am aware many of the contestants have the ability to transform, it is strictly prohibited; you must remain in your most basic form at all times. Energy attacks and flying are also banned." He clapped his hands together. "That is all I have for you. Now, it is time for me to introduce our contestants!"

He went through a memorized list of contestants, going through people I'd never heard of, Hercule, and the Z-Fighters. Finally, he came to me. "And last, but certainly not least, the only one to have the privilege to train under me, I present my own son, Locke Brangwen-Gero." I raised a hand in greeting, but stayed planted in my lounge chair, transported via Capsule. "With all of the contestants announced, I will turn your attention to my wife, Rachel Gero, for the line-up."

My mom approached the ring with a microphone, but had to be helped up by Dad due to the large bulge in her stomach, inhabited by my little brother. She went through a list that everyone had been handed hours ago. Strangely enough, the last fight of the round, as well as the day, would be me versus Tien.

Cell thanked her and patted her pregnant belly before addressing everyone again. "Now then, the first fight between Son Gohan and Hercule Satan will be under way shortly."

With the annoucnements over, Piccolo decided to bring something up. "Hey, Locke?" he asked.

"Hm?"

"I noticed that Meadow isn't here yet. Is everything okay?"

I nodded. "Yeah. She was having some bad contractions, so I asked her to stay home and watch the livestream."

Gohan furrowed his brow worriedly. "It'd be pretty bad luck if she had the baby today," he commented.

I shrugged. "Not really. I mean, my match isn't until tonight; I wouldn't really miss much. Anyway, the doctors say she isn't due for another few days."

"You know those are just estimations," Trunks pointed out, "right?"

I shrugged again, but internally, they had me kinda worried. In the past nine months, I'd become increasingly scared. What if I wasn't ready to be a father? What if Meadow decided we weren't working and dumped me, taking the baby with her? What if something went wrong during birth and I lost one or both of them? It was f*cking terrifying!

A half-hour later, Gohan and Hercule entered the ring. The fight went as expected, with Gohan taking one punch and throwing the match on purpose. Just a note: Gohan was the only one that agreed to help Hercule this time around. The rest of us weren't going to be so nice.

The fights continued on, with Goten beating Krillin by ring-out and 18 K. some random guy, when my phone rang.

 **Goten**

I'd been in a sour mood for the past nine months, but especially this week. Meadow was going to give birth any day now, and she and Locke still seemed perfectly in love. My chances of winning her back were quickly going down the drain. My only hope now was if Locke got cold feet and escaped into space, the only place he could hide.

Right as 18's fight was ending, Locke's phone rang and he checked it. His eyes snapped wide open and he blasted into the sky without a word, smashing his chair and cracking the ground beneath him. We all stood in stunned silence, but no one questioned it; likely, Meadow had informed him that she'd felt a kick and, like always, he'd raced off to prepare for the baby's arrival.

Then a few minutes later, 18 got a text. Her eyes widened, and she quickly responded. When another came, she showed us. It was only one word and unpunctuated, but it was all we needed.

 _Baby_

I sunk into my chair and sighed, my heart sinking. "That's it, then. My chances are done for."

 **Locke**

I hurried home and stuffed everything I'd gotten ready into two Capsules, along with a fairly cliche gift carried outside one, before racing to the hospital, where Meadow's dad had taken her.

I tried my best to slow my breathing as I stood outside the door, but it was difficult. This was the big moment; in an hour or so, I was going to be a dad. Steeling myself, I pushed open the door and took in the scene. Doctors and nurses preparing various devices, Meadow's parents worriedly sitting beside her, and my bride-to-be laying on a hospital bed, her bulging belly giving the occasional throb that only my enhanced senses picked up.

One of the doctors noticed me and started to bar the way, but Meadow's dad stopped him. "He's the father," he informed them.

"The huge teddy bear should have clued you in." I was let in and I took a seat beside the bed, setting said gift on the floor.

Meadow smiled and reached out her hand, which I gratefully took. "Sorry to take you from the tournament," she apologized.

"Forget it," I assured her. "This is more important."

 **Cell**

I was alarmed when my sister informed me that my grandchild would arrive within the next hour or so, but I had to swallow my shock and continue my role as announcer and host. The fights were going by fairly quickly, but as a lot of people had entered, I didn't bother worrying about Locke missing his.

A little more than an hour later, while Piccolo and 17 duked it out in the ring, my phone buzzed. I checked it, then smiled with glee and relief. The message read: _It's a girl!_ The next message was a picture of Locke and Meadow, joyful tears streaking down their smiling faces, while the latter held a tiny pink bundle with a precious sleeping face.

"Cell?" Rachel called. I looked up, noticing that 17 was rubbing his rear end as he picked himself up from the dirt.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" I raced into the ring and lifted Piccolo's hand into the air. "#17 has gone out-of-bounds. The winner is Majunior!" Piccolo smirked down at 17, who smiled weakly and limped back to the others. "Now, before the next match, I have one piece of information that has me too elated to keep to myself." I held the phone to where I could see it, smiling softly at the small family. "As of a few minutes ago, I am a grandfather." A cheer rose in the crowd. "Now, I'm going to hurry this up so I can enjoy this further. The next fight is between #8 and Son Pan."

 **Meadow**

Locke couldn't hold back his tears as he gently cradled our newborn baby, though I couldn't really claim differently about myself. The bundle gave a light squeak that sent my heart fluttering.

"Her eyes are open," he informed me through his sob-induced hiccups. He relocated onto the bed and held her where I could see. Sure enough, the bright yellow rings stared at me, unable to comprehend what was happening.

I reached forward and stroked her thin layer of brown hair. "She needs a name," I decided. "That's the one thing we didn't plan, isn't it?"

Locke nodded, then held her out to me. "You go ahead. I'll wait for the next one."

I smiled, but shook my head. "You're the one that saved the world. _I'll_ take the next one."

"Assuming you'll have more," Mom grumbled, but I could tell that even she was having trouble being angry right now.

He seemed unsure, but looked back at her tiny face, yellow eyes meeting their mirrors, thinking hard. "Alexis," he decided, then smiled and lightly stroked her head. "Do you like that, Lexi?"

I giggled and put my hand on his leg. "And you thought you couldn't do it."

"I didn't think I could do any of this." His smile softened and he lightly kissed her forehead. "But here I am, holding my baby girl, and suddenly the happiest person on Earth. How did I ever consider leaving this behind?"

"You did what now?" My smile became an agressive glare.

Locke gulped and grinned nervously. "I-I mean, becoming a dad would be terrifying as it is, but when I'm sixteen, just almost seventeen, as well as half a year older than my baby's mom... Yeah, I thought about it." He looked down and rubbed the baby's cheek with his thumb. "But I'm still here, right, Lexi? And I'm here to stay. Don't anyone worry about a thing."

I sighed and let his confession slide. "You'd better be, because if you did do that, you know that Cell, 17, 18, Goten, and Trunks would make you regret it. But I guess your programming would have stopped you, anyway." He nodded. "Can I see her?" He smiled and stood, walking closer to place my daughter in my arms. "Hi, Lexi," I cooed, looking into her piercing yellow eyes. Just by that one feature, I felt that she'd someday follow in her father's footsteps.

A little while later, while it had cycled back to being Locke's turn to hold Alexis, the TV playing on the other side of the room caught everyone's attention. _"It's time for the final match of the first round: Locke Brangwen-Gero versus Tien Shinhan. Unfortunately, Locke has yet to return from the hospital after the birth of his daughter. I wish I could provide more help, him being my son, but as stated by the rules, Locke has two minutes to return to the ring or he will be disqualified."_ Cell looked at a handheld timer and started verbally counting down.

I looked at Locke, who was pretending not to have noticed. "Locke," I said carefully, "you need to go."

He shook his head. "I can't leave her."

I smiled. "Locke, what do you want her to hear when she grows up: that you ditched your first major tournament, or that you fought hard and came home a real warrior?" He looked unsure, but I held my arms out. "She'll be here when you're done." He nodded and set the baby in my arms. "Go easy on Tien, okay? Unlike you, he's completely human."

Locke smiled and brought two fingers to his forehead. "I'll see what I can do." Then he vanished.

I happilly bent down to kiss Alexis. "Let's root for Daddy together, okay?"

 **Locke**

"I'm here!" I shouted as I appeared beside Dad and Tien.

Dad sighed in relief. "Then let's get this over with, so I can go see my granddaughter." He cleared his throat. "Contestants, take your positions." We both walked to opposite ends of the ring and took our stances.

"Congratulations," Tien said while Cell counted down again.

"Thanks," I responded. "But don't expect me to give you the win."

"Never."

"Three, two, one!"

 **And that's a wrap. I am really proud to say that this is the first fanfic I've ever completed, despite the nineteen GB I have full of these.**

 **Now, this isn't quite over yet. I'll be uploading a shorter fic sometime in the near future, time-skipping through Alexis's childhood and other events, just for some better closure to the story. I'm not sure when I'll upload that, but it's unfortunately all I have nearly prepared now, even after having finished this so long ago, so I'll be kinda MIA for a while. I hope no one forgets me.**

 **P.S.: I chose Alexis's name from a list of names meaning "kind". Just one more quick note.**


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